Reach For The Stars
by Spirit Speaker
Summary: When settlers are stranded on a distant planet, the Enterprise is sent on a rescue mission with Paladian scientist Nia Sargent - a woman searching for the answers to save her people. Spock/OC
1. Prologue

**Special thanks to my beta TheWindowView **

**Disclaimer: This will be the only one from here on out. I do not own any part of Star Trek, much to my chagrin. I do own Nia and any other OC's. **

**Prologue**

Captain Tracey of the _USS Exeter_ pinched the bridge of his nose, near hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Ma'am, I don't know how else to reassure you that we are in fact a Federation vessel whose intent is not to harm, but to help you." He said to the woman whose face was currently on the viewing screen.

Her jaw clenched and she angrily tossed her dark curls over her shoulder. "Sir, I get that you are frustrated, and I get that I haven't put you in a good position… that is, if your intent is true."

"But?" asked the captain. He could hear it in the tone of her voice.

Her green eyes flashed, and then suddenly her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "But, the truth is you have found a group of people not likely to trust those they don't know for a long while." She rubbed her head, and smoothed her hair back. Her manner was not of one trained to be a leader, not confident and calculated. No, her manner was simpler. It was of a woman who cared, and of a person suddenly thrust into the path of leadership. "Alright, how about a compromise?"

A compromise. Letting out a breath of relief, the captain leaned forward. Maybe –finally- the situation can be resolved. "What kind of compromise are we talking about?"

"I will give you a list of names."

In a far different place, Admiral Pike finally allowed himself to smile as he looked at the woman on the screen in front of him. "We found them. We finally found them."

Nia's breath left her in a rush. "All of them?" She asked quietly.

The admiral shook his head. "Our sensors failed to pick up the full group, but the leader has admitted to some casualties. We don't have a full account."

"Leader?" Nia asked, surprised. She wondered who had stepped up to _that_ plate.

He glanced at the transmission on the PADD in his hands. "A Doctor Wena Verde." At the hitch in Nia's breath, he looked up again. "I take it you know her?"

Nia nodded. "Yes, sir. Very well. When will they be brought home?"

Pike sighed. "Therein lies the rub. Dr. Verde doesn't trust anyone on the _Exeter_, and has requested for a familiar face to be brought to them. You, Miss White, will need to travel with a starship to aid in the rescue effort."

Surprise laced her features for a brief moment, before a shudder of relief passed through her. While her friend was likely being severely overcautious, Nia understood and was _grateful_. Wena knew what she was doing, and even if she didn't Nia trusted her judgment. If Wena wants a familiar face, then she was going to get one.

"When do I leave, Admiral?"

The bustle to get the ship ready for takeoff was surprising. So much effort had been put in prior to fix all the damages from the Nero incident, now nearly six months past, that the captain of the _Enterprise_ had expected to have a smooth an uncomplicated takeoff for the following five year mission.

He really should have known better. Kirk settled on the bridge as he thought over the past few months, and then the upcoming mission. There had been many delays in getting the bird ready to be up and flying again, and extensive interviewing of the crew to ensure that only the most necessary of actions had been taken. Eventually, all the right officials were appeased, and Captain Pike was promoted to Admiral. Of course, there was also graduation.

Then, and only then, was Kirk promoted to Captain of the _USS Enterprise_ and given orders for the ship's voyage into uncharted territory. To discover new planets, people, and life in general. To go into virgin territory, a place where no one else had gone.

Only now, that was being delayed. A priority rescue mission popped up, a group of stranded settlers on the edge of uncharted and charted territory. Territory that was a good month away.

"Welcome aboard the _Enterprise_, Miss Sargent."


	2. Chapter 1

**Special thanks again to my beta TheWindowView :) **

**Chapter 1**

Five days was a long time to eat meals with someone without knowing them. Without talking to them, learning about them, asking how their day was going. Five days of sitting and eating in utter silence. Lunch every day, since she first stepped on board was met with quiet and eventually an easy kind of peace. Lunch, in silence with no expectations and no sudden scrounging for a topic. Not that dinners with or breakfasts with Nurse Chapel were stressful, but there was a clear effort to be friendly and to keep Nia from eating by herself. Lunches, however, were a different story.

Which is why it was so awkward to have him look at her on the sixth day.

Sometimes Nia just gets a craving for fresh vegetables. Spinach and other greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and … carrots.

On this day she picked carrots and it wasn't until the first loud _crack!_ was then followed by several mortifyingly loud _crunch crunch_ noises that she saw her mistake.

His eyes flickered up at her briefly, and Nia realized with horror that he could probably hear every sound of her eating her lunch, despite the galley being near full as usual.

The second carrot was just as bad as the first, and she nearly winced with every snap of a bite and grating crunch of her molars. By the time she was eating her fifth carrot Nia was attempting to subtly cover up the side of her mouth closest to him with her hand in an effort to muffle the noise. At the same time, she was also trying to watch him out of the corner of her eye. Normally she could use her hair as a visual shield, but today just happened to be the day she decided to elaborately clip the white mass behind her head. She'd eat something else, except the rest of her lunch was just as bad. Granola bars and apples?

It was not as if he had not eaten with her before.

On the first day in space, she'd arrived at the mess hall for lunch to discover the room was mostly full, and there were no empty tables in sight. There was, however, a table with only one seat occupied. Actually there were two, but the ensign had glared at her from across the room when she began to look for a seat. Instead, she approached the commander. She'd recognized him, knew his face as well as the captain's, even if the ears didn't give him away as the _Enterprise_'s only Vulcan member.

"Excuse me, Commander." She said when she reached the table, noticing he was preoccupied with something on his PADD.

He looked up at her. "Yes?"

"Would it be alright if I sit here?" She indicated the seat across from him. "There is not much place else to sit."

"I do not see why it would be a problem."

She took that to be a "yes" and settled down in the seat furthest from him, determined not to intrude more than necessary.

They both ate in silence, Nia determinedly not looking at him to keep herself from bothering him. The first day wasn't the day to get off on the wrong foot with anyone, and disturbing them while they were busy was not the way to avoid that. So instead, she decided to read.

She didn't notice him looking up at her when she pulled a book out of the satchel she had been carrying with her, cracked it open and started to read. He tilted his head slightly to read the title. _First Test_. The cover appeared to be a hand drawn illustration, similar to what he had seen appear on children's books. Interesting.

Spock returned to his PADD and quickly finished his meal, before leaving without another moments glance at the woman seated across from him. It would be illogical to disturb her reading for something as insignificant as the customary human salutation.

The second day had followed nearly the same, and the third day Nia just sat there. Some days she read, other days she would just sit and eat. Usually, he was focused on something on his PADD, unlike today. The commander either expected and/or accepted her presence, or he didn't care. Either way, Nia was actually grateful for the ease with which lunches occurred.

Or at least, what had been ease. Now she was trying to focus on her reading and ignore Commander Spock as best she could. She winced as she broke off a piece of granola.

"If you think that your lunch is disturbing me, I assure you it is not."

Nia jerked slightly, and turned her head to see him looking at her, his face impassive. "Thank you for saying so." She told him, struggling with how exactly to respond. "I suppose it was my illogical reaction that disturbed you?"

He tilted his head toward her in acknowledgement. "You suppose correctly, though the disruption was not great."

"I apologize" was all she said before she returned to her book.

"Your apologies are accepted, but unnecessary." He told her as he placed his PADD to the side and returned to eating.

Relaxing in her seat, Nia found her focus while reading to be greatly improved and no longer bothered by how loud the sounds of her eating were. She felt the previous ease of silence returning.

"Might I make a personal inquiry?" A masculine voice once again spoke up from across table.

She glanced up, surprised. "You may." She answered.

"You are Doctor Niniane Sargent, specializing in xenobiology and xenoagriculture, correct?" He asked.

If she wasn't curious before, now she definitely was. She wasn't the only one who liked knowing who one was flying with. "Yes, that's correct."

He paused. She wasn't sure, but it seemed as if he was trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to say. Apparently he decided to be blunt.

"You are reading a children's book, are you not?"

"And you are wondering why." She stated, smiling and sitting straight. She placed a bookmark in the binding of the book before shutting it.

He also straightened, if that were possible. "I merely do not see the logic."

Sighing, Nia struggled with an answer he might relate to. "Well, simply put it isn't logical. I'm a scientist, I have no business in spending time reading fairy tales. Except," she paused. "I enjoy the contradiction."

Spock's brows furrowed slightly, but she continued speaking before he could start. "It is a relaxation, and an escape from a normally stressful environment. I don't have to put forth effort to understand or solve a problem. I merely need to turn a page." She grabbed her book and turned it so he could read the cover. "Besides, this isn't exactly a children's book. I'd be concerned if it were."

She was reading a complete collection of the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm.

Spock thought about her statements for a moment, looking at a space not quite in beside her head. "I believe I understand. Only," He returned his eyes to her "I was not aware the _Enterprise_ would be considered a stressful environment requiring the need for escape."

This time her smile was grim. "Commander, while I have not been cleared to actively work while on this mission, I am still under stress. A rather large group of my people is trapped on a near wasteland of a planet that is a close month away. I can only hope the fragile bindings of my precious escapes can withstand the pressure."

He nodded at her statement, and it seemed the conversation had ended.

Not bothering to open up her book again, Nia finished the last of her meal and stood to leave. "Have a pleasant shift, Commander."

He again tilted his head in acknowledgement, by now used to the illogical well wishing some species tended towards.

Walking down the hall, Nia wasn't really sure why she left the mess hall so quickly. Especially since her meals were really the only times each day that she had a break from the monotony of her day. She hadn't realized she would not be put on active duty when she was sent on this mission. Usually Starfleet protocol was much of a "waste not want not" mindset. Surely, having a scientist pointlessly wander the halls of the ship for at least a month, if not two, was the epitome of waste.

Or she could be over thinking her worth. After all, there wasn't much need for a xenobiologist on the _Enterprise_. Well, as far as she could tell.

Not only was she not on active duty, but the clearance that would allow her access to the labs on board was also restricted from her. So now last minute checking or musing over her data.

At least there was a gym on board. Otherwise, every muscle not necessary for reading, page turning, or eating would probably atrophy and leave her in a permanent state of uselessness. Or she would go stir crazy and self combust.

She began to think about just what it would take for her to self combust. Maybe it would be spontaneous. Just burst into flames from the utter frustration of being useless. Maybe it wouldn't be spontaneous, but the combustion would show itself in a more psychological fashion. She could kill someone. Possibly even the captain, or just a lowly –

Six days. Six days of being idle and reading children's books and she was already thinking about killing someone as an outlet from boredom.

How was she going to survive a month?

She turned around. She was going to the gym.

"Easy there."

Nia paused in her actions, and looked behind her to see an ensign seated on a bench behind her both clearly resting and watching her.

"I think it's dead." He told her, gesturing to the punching bag she was currently focusing on.

She snorted. "Exactly. Can't complain, now can it?" Turning slightly, she delivered what would have been a nasty upper cut on a living being.

He laughed. "And the treadmill?"

Nia froze, and then turned slowly to fully face him. He was smirking at her, knowing he'd gotten her attention.

"Ensign…" She left off, fully expecting him to fill in the blank.

He didn't disappoint. "Harris, ma'am." He told her, with that same smirk.

"Ensign Harris, just how long have you been watching me?" She asked. In all honesty, she wasn't sure why she asked, or if she wanted to know the answer. She was just bored.

The smirk turned into a cheeky grin. "Why, ma'am, just long enough to know what you are hiding under – "

Another gentleman approached, whom had also been working out recently, and interrupted Ensign Harris. "Ensign Harris, are you harassing a fellow crew member?"

Just like a switch, the grin was gone. It seemed the Asian man who had walked over was of a higher rank.

Nia laughed, both at the assumption she was crew and at the look on the poor man's face. "Don't worry, he hadn't gone as far as harassment. And," she added "I'm not crew."

The gentleman turned to face her fully in surprise.

Nia held out a hand, going on a guess that the human gesture would be well received. "Doctor Niniane Sargent, civilian consultant."

He shook her hand briefly, before responding "Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, helmsman."

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant."

"Likewise, Doctor. You work in the medbay or the science department?"

She shook her head. "No, I am afraid I'm not on active duty. If I were, I would be in the science department. Xenobiology and xenoagriculture."

"Agriculture? You mean like farming and stuff?" Ensign Harris spoke up, confusion evident on his face.

"In a general way, yes. My work actually focuses on the compatibility and viability of crop types being crossed or when introduced to a non-native environment." She told him.

The look on his face didn't entirely change, but did soften as he realized he might have offended her.

"Neat." Lieutenant Sulu said. He turned to the Ensign sitting beside him. "Well, are you ready to get started?"

"You sound eager to kick my rear, sir." Ensign Harris said as he stood up and stretched lightly.

"Only if you try to pull an advanced move before getting the basics down. Again," replied Sulu.

Having caught the dismissal early on and turned back to her punching bag, Nia paused. She called to Sulu as he and the ensign started walking towards the mats for sparring. "Excuse me, Lieutenant?"

Sulu paused. "Yes, Doctor?"

"Nia or Sargent, please, Lieutenant." After seeing her sweat in her shorts, Nia felt 'Doctor' was just a bit too formal. She took a breath. "Do I understand that you are teaching the Lieutenant hand to hand combat?"

"Then I'm Sulu, Sargent. Yes, I'm teaching him the basics. Why, are you interested?"

She shrugged and gave him a self deprecating grin. "Well, I already know the basics, but I seem to lack a sparring partner. I'm not much more than a novice, but I'd rather not let even that training go to waste."

"Sure, I understand. If you are still in the gym when I've finished with Ensign Harris, I should have enough time for a short match." He told her and walked to the mat where the ensign was waiting.

Relief rushed through Nia at his response. She was relieved to have an additional escape from boredom, and for the opportunity to stay in fighting shape. Not skilled combat fighting, but enough to keep herself alive should the need ever arise.

And after her earlier thoughts on self combustion, that might not be a farfetched thought.

Almost an hour and a half later, Nia groaned as her back collided noen to kindly with the mat underneath her. They had been sparring for fifteen minutes and Sulu had dropped her. Twice. The first had been a basic trip that sent her flying, but the second had been a legitimate throw. She was starting to regret demanding that he not go easy on her. Sulu was _skilled_ and clearly not afraid to show it.

She considered taking the coward's path and tapping out, just to save what little dignity she had left, but instead she swallowed the thought and hauled herself to her feet.

Sulu stood back, waiting for her to regain her balance before he came at her again.

Man, but he was fast. This time though, Nia expected his speed and just barely managed to block his move. She caught the second one too, and the third before starting her own offensive.

She almost got a hit in before he knocked her back. This time, she caught herself before falling.

This time when he came at her, it was obviously with the same style as before and with the same goal in mind.

Nia saw his smirk as she barely dodged, again, and realized what he was doing. He was purposefully leaving an opening for her, allowing her to learn how the move looked and figure out how to counter it. Well, Nia wasn't one for passing up a freebie and took the opening.

This time she got a hit in.

By the time they were finished, Nia had gotten two more hits in, but had been thrown more times than she'd cared to count. And throws like that were costly energy wise. As far as she could figure, either Sulu was a heck of a lot better than she'd originally thought or Nia was lighter than she thought herself to be.

She decided it was the latter and that she should take it as a compliment to keep her ego from being bruised.

Currently she was sprawled out on the mat, trying to get her breathing under control. Sulu was seated next to her, also breathing hard, but not near as hard as she would like. And he'd had two sparring sessions!

_It's just not fair._ She grumbled to herself.

* * *

**A/N: Please tell me what you think :) Also, special prize to the person who knows where the names "Niniane" and "Nia" are from. Hint: it's a book.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView. She's the reason another update is ready so soon.**

"What possessed you to spar with Sulu?"

Nia grinned at the question. "Oh come one, Christine. It isn't that bad."

The woman sitting next to her gaped. "Isn't that bad? _Isn't that bad?_ Have you seen this bruise?" She gestured to the mark on Nia's shoulder that was uncovered when her new friend had seen the edge of the bruise and pulled down her collar to get a better look. It had developed overnight, possibly sooner. Nia couldn't be sure since she skipped her 'evening' meal to shower and rest.

Glancing at her shoulder, Nia winced as Christine prodded a particularly sore spot. "Yes, I have." Nia told her truthfully. It was hard not to. The dark bruise spread from the top of her shoulder across the blade to her mid back. And it was the perfect shape of a forearm. Sulu's in fact. "I already told you it was my fault, didn't I?"

"You mean besides coming up with the hair brained idea of having him as your sparring partner?" Christine snapped.

Nia snorted. "I knocked his feet out from under him at a particularly bad time. It wasn't his fault he landed on me." Again she winced. "Dang Christine, are trying to perform a full examination on me? Stop poking it, yes it does hurt!"

Christine Chapel let go of Nia's shirt and threw up her hands. Sitting back, she told her "You better be planning on going to the medbay and having Doctor McCoy check you out." She shook her head. "I still can't believe you did that."

"Seriously, it was fun and totally worth it." Nia tried telling her.

The blonde nurse rolled her eyes. "Fun? Fun? I'll tell you what's fun. Fun is sitting with a group of friends and gabbing about the day, fun is soaking in a bubble bath reading a good book, fun is playing a board game or watching a movie. Fun is not getting kicked around by someone."

"To you." Nia stressed. "Besides, he's not only sparring with me, he's teaching me how to fight, in a way." At Christine's look, Nia gave up. "Never mind, I think you would actually have to be in the fight to understand."

This time it was Christine who snorted. "Keep telling yourself that. All the way to the medbay. Don't make me come look for you during lunch."

It was then that Nia noticed Christine had finished her breakfast and was already getting up to leave. "Going so soon?" She asked, almost coy.

"Yes, I'm needed in the medbay. You finish here and then come by, ok?" Christine tried to look stern at the woman in front of her.

"I'll make my way there." Nia promised.

As it turned out, she did make her way there. After a nap.

A nap gone wrong, that is.

After breakfast, Nia had gone nearly straight to her quarters desiring to relax more before having yet another person poke her bruise. She had no trouble laying down and falling asleep. Her sleep was dreamless, as far as she could tell, and when she woke up, she felt relatively relaxed.

Until she tried to get up by pushing herself up with her arms and the muscle in her bruised shoulder completely cramped up. With an undignified grunt, she toppled back to the bed and waited for the pain to subside. It eventually did, and she slowly turned over and used her abdominal muscles to lift herself up instead.

Gingerly, she felt the muscle leading to her neck and was appalled to find it had at least doubled in size. A visit to the medbay was becoming a better and better idea. Especially once she discovered she couldn't fully stretch out her arm, not without using her much abused shoulder.

Nia sighed. Christine was going to throw a fit.

"I told you to come here after you finished eating." Was all Christine would say to her when Nia showed up at the medbay.

Despite the fact it was the nurse's attempt at a guilt trip, Nia was relieved she didn't try anything else. So maybe Nia should have shown up a bit sooner. Either way, she was there now and really, nothing else mattered.

Christine led her to an examination table and had her sit upon it. Then she left for a moment, and returned with a gentleman a moment later.

"I'm Dr. McCoy. What's the problem?" He asked, not spending time to be polite before using his medical tricorder. He frowned slightly, then turned to say something to Christine. She left.

During this time, Nia just watched the doctor. His dark hair was just a bit tussled, something that reminded Nia of how her friend often forgot the state of her hair when working. His medical uniform was pristine, though. Something that was also often the case with Wena.

Nia sighed. "My shoulder." She finally answered his question. "I can't seem to stretch out my arm without having the muscle seize up, so I might have pulled it or strained it."

The man snorted, and Nia continued.

"I've also bruised it."

He stepped up behind her and pulled the collar of her shirt lightly to one side. He whistled appreciatively when he saw what was the top of the bruise.

"How large is the bruise?" He asked.

"Extends to my mid back as far as I can tell."

He nodded. "Well, you'll have to take off your shirt so that I can see the rest of it."

"Yeah, I figured." She told him. "The only thing is I can't life my arm too well, so I'll need a little help." It was a good thing she'd opted for the sports bra that morning. Even with a doctor, anything else would have felt too intimate. This way it was just like a workout.

He paused for a moment, then turned and called out "Nurse Chapel!"

"Yes, sir?" Christine asked when she arrived, handing Dr. McCoy a PADD that he must have asked for. She glanced at Nia.

Nia gave her a grim smile and spoke before McCoy could. "I need help taking my shirt off."

Understanding lit up her face and she looked at McCoy to confirm.

He nodded and gestured to go ahead, while reading the information on the PADD.

Christine stood in front of her, and Dr. McCoy stood behind. The nurse delicately help lift the hem of Nia's shirt over her head and pull her uninjured arm out of the short sleeve. Then it was just a matter of sliding the shirt over the injured shoulder and down. She then folded it and left it on Nia's lap for when she would put it back on.

While this was happening, McCoy asked "So you're Paladian? Not often one of you comes across my table."

Nia chuckled. "What gave it away? My white hair, surprisingly pale eyes, or the above average body temperature?"

"All of the above. Besides the bruised shoulder, have you been experiencing any other trouble?" McCoy asked. He didn't elaborate any further.

"You mean like overheating, dry skin and scalp, or lack of sweating?" Nia asked, cheesy smile on her face.

He gave her a look and answered "All of the above."

She rolled her eyes. "No, not unless you count going stir crazy a health issue."

"Is that how you managed to get this bruise?"

"Yes." Christine said and at Nia's glare she busied herself in another part of the med bay.

McCoy caught the glare and rolled his eyes. He gingerly touched the bruise along the edges, testing out the tenderness, and ran the tricorder over the area with his other hand. While doing so he couldn't help but notice the odd shape. "What did you do? Ask someone to beat you up?"

"No," Nia responded, fighting to keep from sounding petulant. "Not exactly."

"It was a yes or no question, darlin'." McCoy growled.

She yelped as he prodded a particularly vulnerable spot on her back. "Is it standard procedure for medical personnel to poke an injury to see if it hurts?" She asked dryly. "If you wanted to know, you could just ask." She said over her shoulder.

He just scowled at her and touched yet _another_ sore area.

Realizing the torture might just end sooner if she told him what he wanted to know, she filled the 'good' doctor in on what happened and how she sparred with Sulu. "Towards the end of the sparring match, though, I did something foolish."

"Act as the mat for Lt. Sulu?"

"No," she said slowly, annoyed. "I knocked his feet out from under him, not taking the time to notice where exactly he would fall. That 'where' happened to be directly on top of me. I think it would have been worse if I hadn't rolled."

"Alright," he said and stood up. He retrieved something from a drawer behind her. "This should work, and the bruise will be gone by tonight. Paladians aren't exactly common patients, so I don't know how effective this will be."

"What will be? Oh." She hissed as a cool gel was spread over her bruise. "_Oh_. I don't feel any pain anymore."

"Good." He began working the gel a little deeper into the muscle of her shoulder.

Nia could feel the muscle loosening up and sighed. He may be lacking in bedside manner, but he knew what he was doing. A random thought crossed her mind.

"Say, do you happen to know what time it is?" She asked.

"1300." He replied.

"Oh. Well, I'll be eating lunch later than usual." She wondered if her usual companion would notice her absence. Probably not.

The doctor snorted. "What, you have a lunch date to get to?"

Nia shook her head. "No, just a usual companion. I doubt he'll notice my absence though."

At this Christine walked over, knowing it was time to put Nia's shirt back on. "He?" she asked quietly.

Nia caught on. "Yes, 'he'. Are you a gossip, Christine?"

"No." She said.

"Yes." McCoy said at the same time.

Chuckling, Nia told them "It's a great arrangement honestly. I read my books, he reads whatever he has on his PADD." With her shirt back on, she carefully stretched out her arm. "And from now on, I don't think I'll be able to eat carrots anywhere in his vicinity. At least, not raw ones."

"I don't want to know." McCoy stated and walks away.

Christine grinned. "Well, I do."

"Silent table. Crunchy carrots. Need I say more?" Nia told her.

Christine just looked at her confused. Nia shook her head.

"Don't worry about it. So, Nurse Chapel, am I free to go?" Nia asked as she jumped down from the table.

The blonde just rolled her eyes and shooed her out of the med bay.

Nia looked around the hallway outside the med bay briefly. _Might as well eat_. Turning on her heel, she heads in the direction of a lift to take her to the mess hall.

She stepped off the lift and was almost to the mess hall, when she passed a familiar blue shirt.

He almost walked past her when he paused. "Doctor Sargent?"

Nia paused and turned. "Yes?" She responded.

"Are you well?" He still hadn't turned around, but had merely turned his head so that all she could see was his profile.

"Yes, quite." She wasn't sure if she should say anything else, so she didn't.

He nodded once and continued walking.

Brushing off the slightly odd encounter, Nia walked into the mess hall. She obtained a turkey sandwich from the replicator and looked around for a place to sit. Obviously her usual choice was not an option today. However…

"Sulu, how are you today?" She grinned and settled next to him at the table. Across from her, one of his fellow crew members also ate. He appeared to be of similar standing as Sulu, both sporting the yellow uniform of command staff. She smiled at him briefly before turning to Sulu again. "You aren't sore from your double sparring match, are you?"

The lieutenant smiled. "A little. Less than you I'm sure." As he spoke he was eyeing her, surely noticing her ease of movement.

"That is true, or would be if I hadn't just been under the hands of a miracle worker in the med bay."

"Ah." Sulu said in understanding.

The young man sitting across from her suddenly held out his hand. "Ensign Pavel Chekov, ma'am."

Nia gripped his hand firmly. "Doctor Niniane Sargent, though I'd prefer it if you would call me Nia or Sargent."

Sulu spoke up. "Sargent here is the one who requested to spar with me yesterday."

Chekov grinned at her. "I hear it, you were thrown like ragdoll."

"Oh yeah." She said "I hit that mat so many times, I now have intimate knowledge of the taste, touch, and smell of it. And tomorrow I imagine the intimacy will increase."

Chekov turned to Sulu, eyes raised. "You are fighting again tomorrow?"

"Twice a week, right Sargent?"

"That's right."

Chekov shook his head, and muttered something about crazy females.

Hearing him, Nia decided to call him out. "Oh come on, it isn't like us 'crazy females' have much of a choice, now do we?"

He looked up at her surprised, and a little embarrassed she had heard him.

Still smiling, she continued "After all, with all the images of bad-_ahem" _she coughed to get the point across as to which word she meant "women that the media pours into the minds of young men, we women have to live up to the hype now, don't we?"

Sulu snorted as Chekov's blush deepened. "Don't tease him, Sargent." He told Nia. "He'll think you are being serious."

"Oh, but I am." She said, trying to play it up and suspecting she was failing miserably.

Chekov finally recovered, and sputtered "You say you are tough female?"

"Yes." She answered, wondering if she was going to regret this round of teasing.

"Prove it."

Oh yeah, she was going to regret this.

Half an hour later, McCoy stared at her as if she was growing a second head in front of him.

"Let me get this straight, you left the med bay, after being treated for an injury resulting from sparring with Lt. Sulu, went to the mess hall to eat lunch, and instead lifted weights to prove yourself to Ensign Chekov?"

Sheepishly, she looked at her toes. "Well, not instead. I ate first. Then lifted weights to prove myself to Chekov."

"How did you do?"

"I'm not human."

"That well?"

"Until I dropped the weights on my foot."

Nia shifted uncomfortably. She might be stronger than the average human male, but she lacked the coordination to pair with that strength. Even _her_ foot didn't take well to over two hundred pounds being dropped on it.

* * *

**R&R please. I'll even take the bad. Oh and that challenge issued in the first chapter? That prize is still available :) **


	4. Chapter 3

**Congratulations to CalligraphersNib for meeting the challenge! I admit to great love of King Arthur (And Atlantis, for those of you who have read the "Water" trilogy, where the two overlap). **

**I know, I said updates were going to be slower, but I really couldn't resist on this one. Oh well. **

**As always, special thanks to my beta TheWindowView. **

The noise was incessant, and all too successful at pulling Nia from her sleep. She grumbled and rolled over to snap at the computer.

It was then she realized she wasn't hearing her alarm. She'd turned it off the night before, wanting to sleep in instead of getting up early to meet Christine for breakfast. Instead, she was hearing someone politely, but persistently, knocking at her door every few moments.

Groaning, she hauled herself up. Her shoulder no longer caused her any pain, but when she stepped forward once out of bed, she realized her foot was still just a tad sore. Doctor McCoy had told her that she might want to wear a brace the next day, despite having already taken care of the fractures, just until the tendons were fully healed.

Again there was a knock at the door.

Nia sighed, and hobbled to the door. She hit the button to open the door.

The door slid open to reveal none other than Commander Spock.

Nia froze. Of all the people to be at her door, he didn't make the list. He might have if she had been more awake, but even then he wouldn't have been at the top. If he had, she would have made sure to at least look halfway presentable and not like she had just rolled out of bed. Literally.

"Doctor Sargent, I have taken the liberty of speaking with the captain and obtaining permission for you to work in the sciences division for the duration of the trip." He informed her.

She didn't move and just blinked. "That's… some pretty great news actually. I assume you – I'm to start now?" Still groggy, she was fumbling for words.

The commander nodded. "Yes, though – "

She cut him off. "Give me one moment to get ready." Nia ushered him into the front area of her quarters and disappeared into the back bedroom area.

Spock waited without complaint as she readied herself. While normally it was illogical for females to spend an exorbitant amount of time on readying themselves for the day, Doctor Sargent was in clear need of _something_ to be done. His first impression when she had opened the door was that she had been ill, and that was why she was not in the mess hall with Nurse Chapel, as she had been every morning since arriving on the _Enterprise_.

While waiting, he quickly checked her file on his PADD. He had seen her go to the med bay yesterday, Sulu and Chekov both helping her to walk, yet there were no alerts preventing her from being cleared for work. He was certain that incident was the reason for her slight limp as she walked away from him.

In the bedroom, Nia grumbled as she pulled on the slim brace issued her by Dr. McCoy. It would help her walk without a limp, but it still felt awkward on her foot, especially once she pulled on her laced work shoes. Just before she stepped out of bedroom, she snagged her Starfleet issue laboratory coat and slid it on over her fitted t-shirt. She'd brought it along, just in case she got put to work.

Standing before Commander Spock, she announced "I'm ready."

"Clearly." He said as he nodded.

Once in the hallway he began to lead her to the main labs for the sciences division. He didn't speak at first, and during this time Nia realized just how much taller he was than her. At 5'8", Nia was not short for a female by any human standards, but the Vulcan walking beside her was almost a head taller than her. Her forehead probably met his chin. While such a height was not abnormal, not many of the humanoid males she had met since working for Starfleet had been much taller than her. Even fewer females were taller.

In the turbo lift, she noticed how lean he was, something similar to the males on Palad. As a xenobiologist, she knew the differences between her and the Vulcan, but her knowledge was not particularly extensive. Her main focus had been crop and livestock oriented.

When they stepped off the turbolift, Nia asked "What exactly will I be working on?"

"Starfleet has forwarded us the majority of your previous research. It would be logical to continue your previous work, would it not?"

Nia couldn't help, but agree. "It would." At this point, she would have been fine working on someone else's project, but she was still grateful to be able to continue with her own work. "Will I also have access to the additional research and data collected by other starships?" She asked.

He nodded and continued speaking. He was informing her of all that would be expected of her, all of which she had already guessed. She watched him as he spoke though, allowing herself to drift close to the wall and her shoulder to brush the corners as she turned them. Doing so let her watch him for the most part and still avoid the crew members in the hall.

It was then that she noticed just how pronounced the green hue was on his skin, in comparison to the pink tinge her own skin was. She liked the green though. Even the green coloring on his lips. It was the exact same shade as a species of moss that grew on the tops of the trees on Palad. She wondered if the color was the only similarity; the moss itself was quite soft and –

_Thump!_

"Oof!"

_Whack!_

As a sound similar to a gong resonated through the pipe of the handrail Nia was currently bent over, Nia realized she should have paid more attention to her surroundings.

The pair had reached the sciences division and was entering one of the labs, where apparently there were a few short steps and handrails on either side for safety.

Nia was currently straddling one of the said handrails, hands braced in front of her from where she slammed them down to catch herself before she hit her head on the bar.

This was one of the few moments in her life where she has been insanely thankful for the fact that she was not a male. If she had been, then Nia was pretty sure she would have just eliminated all possibility of having children because the handrail was the _perfect_ height.

Not daring to look at the male standing next to her, Nia very carefully backed herself off of the handrail. As she did so, she could feeling the shock wearing off and had to forcibly blink back the tears. Dropping those weights on her foot had been less painful and far less humiliating.

Yeah, this is why she was sparring with Sulu. Graceful warrior she was _not_.

Finding that walking was no more painful than standing, Nia began to step down the stairs. "So," she cleared her throat. "Is this it?" Hiding her face in her shoulder she sniffed as she felt the start of a runny nose due to the tears she was still blinking back. She was sure her cheeks were brilliant pink by now. Even her ears and neck were heating up with embarrassment.

"If by 'it' you mean the lab where you will be working, then yes." Spock stepped up beside her.

She still refused to look at him.

Waiting for her to look at him, Spock didn't speak. When he finally realized she wasn't going to look at him, he asked "Would not a visit to the med bay be prudent?"

_Oh heck no. _Nia thought to herself. Three visits to the med bay in less than twenty four hours? Not happening. Not even if she cracked her pelvis was she going back to the med bay so soon. "Um, no." she told him. "I'll be fine."

"Fine is not acceptable." He informed her firmly. "If you are injured –"

"I'm not – "

"Continuing to work with an untreated injury can prove dangerous for both yourself and – "

"Commander!" She finally raised her voice high enough for him to stop speaking. "I will go to the med bay if I need to. Please be satisfied with that."

He stared at her a moment more, face never showing anything that he might be thinking, before he nodded.

Wordlessly he showed her to her workspace. Her eyes widened at the array of hi-tech equipment spread out on the table in front of her. Nia felt love suddenly blossom in her for the new starship. All the equipment was new also, and in top shape.

"Oh this is lovely..." she whispered to herself, as she drew her hand along the edge of the table. Realizing Spock was still in the room, Nia turned to him. "Will I be working with a team? Do I report to anyone or directly to yourself?"

"Ensign Jenkins and Lieutenant McGuire will be working with you, though not on the same project. There are other crewmen available, if needed. As I am the Science Officer, you will report to me." Spoke told her. "I am due to report to the bridge. Any other questions?" He had his hands clasped behind his back again. Nia was beginning to realize that was his preferred way of standing.

"No, thank you. I'll speak with Jenkins or McGuire if I need anything." She said, and began to familiarize herself with the equipment. A thought crossed her mind, and she turned calling out "Oh wait, Commander?" He turned back to her. "What is the proper procedure to contact someone on the bridge? I had arranged to meet with Sulu this afternoon, but I don't believe I will be able to anymore."

"Will you not see him at the midday meal?" He asked.

Nia sighed. "I can tell him then, but I have no guarantee I'll see him then. He eats later than I do, that is assuming that I should still continue to eat at the same time as you." She paused for a moment, and rethought her last statement. "Never mind, I'll just make sure to find him later. And if not, it shouldn't be a big deal." She just shook her head and turned back to the table, slightly embarrassed to have asked him such a trivial question.

"Those on the bridge are able to receive private messages, though he will not be able to check it until his shift ends. Will that suffice?"

Nia just nodded. For no logical reason, she could feel her face starting to turn pink again, and remained silent until he left. Once she heard the doors to the outer lab shut, she breathed out a sigh before sitting down.

And yelped as the denim tightened around her crotch, pressing just so against her bruised pelvis.

It only took Nia an hour to get acquainted with her new surroundings and to familiarize herself with the new equipment. Then she settled herself down in front of the computer to review exactly what data of hers the _Enterprise_ was able to get a hold of.

The files were easy enough to find. They had been loaded into a folder titled with her name and accessed with her authorization code. Maybe the Commander's code too, but Nia couldn't be sure. She gave her authorization code when the computer requested it, and felt her breath hitch at the sight of the first few files. She scanned through the rest of the folder, recognizing the titles and making a mental catalogue of the files she had available. Again, the top files caught her attention.

Commander Spock was correct that the _Enterprise_ had been forwarded most of her research. What he failed to mention was that Starfleet had also forwarded her husband's research. Of course, she'd seen all the data before. Shortly after the incident, Starfleet had transferred her husband's project on to her and changed the authorization on his files so that she could access them. It had taken her weeks to understand the data, though, and then integrate it into her own. They say men are like waffles and women like spaghetti, and while Nia wasn't human, her husband was human and was definitely a waffle. Whatever Nia was, it wasn't a waffle and all too often Henry and she had butted heads because of it. The two just didn't think the same.

Nia had kept the files in case she had missed anything, but they were no longer her primary reference. She was surprised to see them, but realized that Starfleet had no way of knowing what files she did and did not use.

Nia remember how much it had hurt, to be forced to go through Henry's work and try to figure out what he was thinking, and to figure out how to continue. They had been working two separate angles to the same problem and her people needed Henry's work to continue. It didn't matter for her peoplethem if he had died,but or that his work didn't.

And so the short term solutions Nia had been seeking were transferred to another scientist, while the primary search was given to her.

Taking a deep breath, Nia shook the past form from her shoulders. Then she accessed the updated data forwarded from the discoveries of other starships.

Her eyes widened at the magnitude of information. Either there had been quite a bit of research taking place in the last week, or someone had been holding out on her. Nia, quite literally, had access to all the research. Even the completely unrelated information.

Nia paused, and looked towards the door of her lab. She had had information kept from her, despite Starfleet knowing how absolutely vital it was for her to continue her work with all the information that was collected. Then, Nia gets sent on a rescue mission on the new flagship. And what do you know? Instant access.

Shaking her head, Nia realized Wena just might have done her a favor by getting stuck on an uncharted planet. Tying back her white hair, Nia decided to get to work.

Before starting to integrate the data, Nia sent a quick message to Lt. Sulu. It appeared her previous assumption was correct.

This was going to take a while.


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's Chapter 4 finally. Sorry it took so long, exam week is really kicking my butt. **

**Special thanks again to my beta TheWindowView, and of course thanks to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it. **

Nia stretched up to grab the small bottle of solution stored at the back of the shelf. The top shelf to be more specific. The other xenobiologist on board had a few samples he was letting her examine, and so of course the solution she needed was the only one stored on the top shelf.

Crewman Michaels walked in behind her. Nia only knew this because of the sharp gasp to be heard before Michaels started chastising Nia.

"Dr. Sargent, what are you doing?" She near yelled. "There's a step ladder! There's no reason to be doing that!" She was clearly struggling to control herself.

The 'that' Michaels was referring to was the fact Nia had climbed the shelving to reach the top shelf.

After taking a breath, Michaels continued ranting. "Dr. Sargent, you need to get down from there, right now! Do you have any idea what you are doing? What if you break something?"

From an outsiders perspective, Nia was precariously perched on the edge of two shelves with the toes of her shoes barely maintaining a grip. The fingers of her left hand gripped the edge of the top shelf and held her body close while she grabbed for the supplies she needed with her right. To an outsider, the whole thing could cave in at any moment, and she could slip and fall the few feet to the floor.

While Michaels was still panicking and ranting, Nia just rolled her eyes, and then proceeded to delicately lower herself to the floor.

Warrior woman she may not be, but climbing? Climbing was in her genes. Climbing was her people's evolved way of survival, and even the relatively recent technological advancements couldn't change that fact. Paladians were born to reach for the skies.

The irony of a Paladian on a starship flying higher than said skies did not escape Nia.

"Ma'am, if you needed help you should have called for me, you should-"

Michaels was _still_ ranting, and now that Nia was back on the floor, the crewman was hovering. She was behaving like a mother hen who had just discovered her chick decided to go swimming.

Little did Michaels know, this chick was actually a duckling.

"Calm down, Michaels." Nia tried, knowing it was probably the wrong thing to say, but knowing she needed to say something. The other woman looked like she was going to give herself a heart attack.

In response the crewman turned and stormed out of the lab, leaving a rather perplexed Ensign Jenkins in her wake.

"Wow." Jenkins said to Nia. "I don't think I've ever seen any one get her that worked up. Nice job Sargent." The ensign walked over to stand next to the woman she was coming to respect. "Whatever it was, she left in such a huff she didn't even see me."

Nia rolled her eyes again. Crewman Michaels and the doctor did not get along well. There were certain things that Nia only did her way, and apparently the Crewman felt the same way.

"I was only trying to get a solution from the top shelf." She said, defensively.

Jenkins looked up at said shelf, then around the lab. "How?" She asked, incredulous. "By climbing on the walls?"

"No, the shelves." Nia had the grace to blush at the look Jenkins sent her way. "Don't look at me like that. I'm Paladian. I just didn't think about getting a stepladder."

"Because you are Paladian?" Jenkins was confused.

"You know the temperate rainforests you have on Earth?" Nia asked, smiling slightly as she thought about the few Terran places that had reminded her distinctly of home.

"I do. I've been to Seattle a time or two." Jenkins wasn't quite following her, but was willing to see where the doctor was taking it.

"Imagine the trees… only bigger. That's Palad."

Jenkins nodded in understanding. "So is that why your fingers are so long? I'd only noticed the other day because of the way you held you stylus."

Nia chuckled. "That is exactly right." She flexed her left hand as if to prove the ensign's point. Nia's fingers were a great asset when climbing.

"So," Jenkins asked. "I just came over to see if you needed any help?"

"Oh no," Nia told her. "Thank you, but I'm just going to look at some rotifers under high magnification."

"Alive?" Jenkins asked, surprised.

Nia nodded. "Yep. What do you think I was climbing to the top shelf for?" She waved her bottle at the other woman as if it were some sort of prize.

"Methyl cellulose." Jenkins observed appraisingly. "You sure that's a good idea?"

Shrugging, Nia told her. "These appear to be Terran based forms, so the solution should only serve to slow them down with no other adverse side effects."

Jenkins just nodded and stood by Nia as she began to set up the necessary equipment. She looked around the lab for a moment longer before finally saying "Well, it looks like you have everything under control." She turned to walk out of the lab.

Turning her head to glance over her shoulder. "If you are feeling bored or lonely, you are welcome to hang out here whenever you like. I might or might not put you to work."

Ensign Jenkins warmed considerably at the suggestion. "Thank you, Sargent. I just might take you up on that offer." She looked out the door, then back again. "Not today though. My work won't wait for me to cure my boredom. I've just been stalling 'til the last possible minute."

"I understand that." Nia said. And Nia really did understand. It used to be she would wander into Henry's lab in order to find an excuse from monotony of her own work. More often than not, she was put to work. It had been worth it though, those little moments before a task kept her sane.

After Jenkins left, Nia continued working. The rotifers were really nothing special, and were very similar to those found on Earth. It allowed her to familiarize herself with a new species though, and narrow down yet another area of approach. _One species down… _She ended the train of thought there. She didn't want to know how many more pointless slides and species of plant, animal and everything in between that she would have to go through. _As much as I have to, I just don't want to know much that 'much' actually is._

Despite the rotifers being a dead end, Nia took detailed notes on them anyways. Sometimes the smallest piece of information could make the difference. It could be the one pro or con that tipped the scales and irrevocably altered the outcome. Could be, but not necessarily would be.

Sometime between her examining the rotifers and imputing the data, Crewman Michaels had come back into the lab. She didn't say anything more to Nia, though, and only spoke when spoken to. The new found docile manner was surprising, but a little refreshing for Nia. Even though Nia was a civilian, she was still the authority in this part of the lab. It had worried her that she might have to put the crewman in her place, or worse, had someone else do it.

It wasn't for at least a couple of hours that Michaels spoke up on her own. "Excuse me, but aren't you supposed to be at lunch?"

Nia frowned. "No." She turned to face the crewman. "Why? What time is it? Computer, time."

"12:00 hours."

Nia felt her eyebrows rise in surprise. She'd begun working around eight, right after breakfast with Christine.

"Wow." She said. "The time really flew. I guess it is time for lunch. Well I don't need you to stay while I'm not in the lab today, so just make sure to be back in an hour." She left her lab coat hanging of the back of her chair.

Michaels nodded, and then followed Nia out of the lab. The two parted in the hallway.

By the time Nia got to the mess hall, her usual companion had already started eating. She got her food, something safe and relatively crunchless ever since the carrot incident, and settled down across from him.

As per her usual, Nia had a book with her. _Lady Knight_, a novel with yet another childish illustration on the front. Only this one seemed to depict an older girl in armor, Spock noticed. Once he completed his meal, he waited for her to complete hers.

She noticed his stillness first. Out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen the folded hands sitting on the table in front of him, clearly waiting for something. It was as she was putting her book down and cleaning up the remainders of her lunch. She hadn't realized before that he didn't have his PADD with him that day.

"Sir?" She finally asked.

"I wish to address an issue that came to my attention today." He said.

Nia winced. So that's where Michaels went when she stormed out. "I realize I should have used the ladder. I will do so in the future."

He raised an eyebrow. "While it is strongly advised that you do so, that is not the issue I am speaking of."

She looked at him, surprised. If that wasn't the issue, then what was? She hadn't done anything else, not that she knew of.

"Crewman Michaels has requested a transfer of assignments."

It took her a moment to process what she was told in that unchanging tone of voice. When it clicked, she sat back surprised. While Crewman Michaels was not Nia's favorite person, Nia had thought the problems could be worked through.

"That's… disappointing." Nia said.

The eyebrow was raised again. "I was made to understand there are problems between the crewman and yourself."

Nia shrugged. "Yeah, Michaels and I are not on the best of terms. To put it in a human phrase, we rub each other the wrong way and both have very… individual ways of doing things." She slumped slightly in her seat. "I had thought we could work it out."

Spock had suspected as much. Michaels had been on the edge of disrespectful when she had made her request earlier and the commander had been forced to remind her that the doctor was in fact her authority, and was to be treated as such, per Starfleet regulations.

Nia spoke again. "Well, if she truly feels it to be a problem to work with me, then I see no reason to not grant her request. Except… Would it be alright if I spoke with her? Or have you already responded to her request?"

"I have not. Does this mean you wish to confront her?" He told her.

If he were human, Nia imagined she would be hearing wariness in his voice. Or caution. Or really anything a male in command might feel towards a problem between two females in his command.

"If by confront, you mean speak with her on the matter, then yes. Commander, she's been working with me for just over two days. Crewman Michaels is young, and has a dominant female personality. Prior to being assigned to work with me, she was working on the project of her choice." She said, struggling (again) with how exactly to get her point across to the Commander. For some reason, fear of saying the wrong thing had come to grip her low in her chest and heat had begun to rise along the side of her neck.

"You are suggesting that Crewman Michaels is merely reacting to the change in her position?" Spock inquired.

"She might be, yes."

"And speaking with her would help you determine that?"

"It should."

He nodded. "I will hold my decision then, based on the outcome of your discussion with Crewman Michaels."

"Thank you."

"Gratitude is unnecessary, Doctor."

"Not to me, Commander."

He merely nodded as he stood and left the mess hall.

As soon as he disappeared out the door, Nia groaned and thunked her head on the table in front of her. Now, she had to talk to Crewman Michaels. This was going to be fun.

When Nia finally went back to the lab, Michaels was already there, setting up the next experiment to be run. Not sure how to start what was going to be an awkward conversation, Nia decided to just get to work with Michaels and let it come to her.

Letting it come to her wasn't working after twenty minutes, and Michaels was very tense.

"Alright, dang it." Nia finally snapped. "I spoke with the Commander today. He told me of your request."

Michaels looked up, and caught Nia's eyes. Even after a several seconds, the crewman didn't look away.

Nia decided to continue. "You have a problem with me." Michaels opened her mouth. "Ah! I don't care what it is, or why. I only care if we can work it out." Nia paused, then said "You choose."

"Ma'am?" Michaels asked, clearly confused.

Nia sighed. "You get to choose to stick it out or leave."

Finally, Michaels looked away. When she finally looked back, most of the tension was gone. "Where do you need these samples?"

Nia grinned. "Good choice. Over there actually." As she helped the crewman shift samples around, Nia told her "Oh, and you get to inform the Commander of your decision."

Something akin to a whimper was heard behind her.

"Don't give me that. You and I both know how trouble with a superior this early on in your career was going to look, and I already did my part to prevent that from happening. Now you get to do yours."

Michaels sighed. "I did run to him in a hissy fit, didn't I?"

"You did." Nia confirmed. "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you." She waited a moment then amended her statement. "Much."


	6. Chapter 5

**Again, many thanks to my beta TheWindowView. She always provides great insight. **

**Thanks also to those who have reviewed. I am really glad you are enjoying the story so far and appreciate hearing you opinions. I hope to hear many more :) **

**Enjoy **

"No." Nia silently swore to herself, and then read another line. "_No_. That is not ok." She started back at the top of the paragraph and reread it. "You've got to be kidding me." She continued reading, chewing her lip.

Spock stared at her. Lunch had been progressing as normal that day, the doctor sitting down after him and promptly opening a book to read. This time, it appeared to be written for an older audience.

It wasn't until six minutes later that doctor had become agitated. She'd begun muttering to herself and vigorously flipping pages. Multiples times he'd seen her silently swear to herself.

When she finally set the book down rather aggressively, the commander found himself asking "Is there a problem, Doctor?"

Running a hand through her unbound hair, Nia grumbled "I've read this dang book six times. Six. And yet, every time I managed to miss this line. Now, I've read it and it changes the entire book!" She gestured her hands wildly at the book, as if doing so would correct the problem.

"Is the change not satisfactory?" Spock asked in an almost _delicate_ fashion.

"No, it's not." She sat back and huffed, fluttering the few fly away hairs that were in her field of vision. "This is one of my favorite books too. I swear, I need to stop skipping the character descriptions to get to the plot. It's a terrible habit."

"Do you read most of your novels in such a fashion?"

She opened her mouth, and then paused. "You know, I probably do. This _sucks_." At his raised eyebrow, she explained. "I'm going to have to reread all my books with a fine toothed comb to make sure I didn't miss any other important details."

He almost frowned. "I fail to see how using a comb would aid you in that endeavor. Would not reading carefully be the most efficient?"

Surprised, Nia chuckled. "That is actually was I meant. In the past, a fine tooth comb was often used to find small things. Such as lice in children's hair."

"So you mean to equate such details to small parasites?"

Now, Nia laughed. "Yes, I suppose I do." She told him, nodding all the while. Looking at the book sitting in front of her, she shook her head. "I can't believe I missed that. Totally ruined the book."

"If you perhaps read your books the same way you write your reports, you would not find yourself missing such significant details." The commander informed her.

"How do I write my reports?" She asked, confused by the reference.

"Quite efficiently." He told her.

"Oh." She said. She thought about it. When writing reports, Nia found that she actually saved time by being meticulous. Mistakes were prevented in both the data collection process and the reporting process, mistakes that would not have to be later corrected. And once one mistake is made, the entire document had to be revised. When it came to reading, perfection just simply didn't matter.

Another thought hit her. The commander, in an odd way, had just complimented her. Likely not on purpose or for any significant reason, but none the less Nia took it for what it was worth. A Vulcan had found her work to be more than adequate. That was miraculous in itself.

While she was musing, she hadn't noticed Ensign Jenkins appear at her left elbow. She didn't notice until the commander greeted the other woman.

Nia looked up, surprised to find the Ensign looking at her meaningfully.

"What do you require, Ensign Jenkins?" Spock inquired of the woman.

"I actually could use the doctor's help, sir."

"What's up, Jenkins?"

The woman sighed. "Can you help with a small problem in Engineering?"

Nia frowned. "What could you possibly need of _me_? I've absolutely no background in engineering."

"Indeed, it is illogical to be in need of Doctor Sargent's aid."

Jenkins looked a little embarrassed at Spock's statement. "Well, it's not your biology background that's needed. It's your Paladian talents we need."

"Alright," Nia said, standing. "You've gotten my attention. Take me to Engineering."

Jenkins spared her a relieved smile before spinning on her heel and heading out of the mess hall. Nia barely took a moment to dispose of the remainders of her lunch before following her friend and coworker.

It is was on the way to the turbolift that both women realize they are were being followed. Nia looked at the commander suspiciously as the three enter entered the lift.

"Heading back to the bridge, Commander?" Jenkins asked, hand hovering over the controls.

"I will escort you to Engineering."

"Yes, sir." Jenkins responded as the turbolift began to move.

For some obscure reason, Nia felt herself blush. The thought briefly crossed her mind that the commander was only 'escorting' them because he didn't trust them. Or maybe he just didn't trust _her_. He'd already seen her walk into a handrail, been informed of her climbing shelves, and had probably heard about her trips to the medbay.

The three left the lift and Jenkins led the way to Engineering, Spock and Nia keeping pace behind her. This time, Nia kept her eyes straight ahead of her as they walked. She was not going to walk into something again.

"Commander, may I ask why it is that you are escorting us? Surely, you are needed for duty on the bridge?" Nia asked.

"If there is a need for science personnel in Engineering, it would be of the greatest use to have the Science Officer present, would it not?" He responded.

She nodded. "It would." She said. Continuing, she added "Though, it would only make sense if there is a need for science personnel. Now Jenkins asking for my help does make it seem that way, only she does happen to be friends with Lieutenant Commander Scott and just might be asking for a favor from a friend, me."

"The probability of that being the case is 12.4% "

Jenkins, facing away from them, rolled her eyes. Nia was the one who was right, in this instance. Sort of.

"Commander." Jenkins said as the three arrived in Engineering.

Lieutenant Commander Scott looked up in surprise from where he'd been working. Jenkins had only said she was bringing her Paladian coworker, not her coworker _and_ the First Officer.

Before Scott could say anything, Jenkins turned to Nia. "Here's the thing. Commander Scott has an assistant, goes by the name of Keenser, and he likes to climb."

Nia saw where this was going. "Please don't tell me he has gotten stuck some place neither of you can get to and so you need someone who is equally as good if not better at climbing than Keenser."

"Well, lass," Scott spoke up. "You've already figured it out. You won't be needin' the tellin' then."

"Surely, it would be better to allow him time to find his way down?" Spock asked.

Scott nodded. "I thought so too, Commander, but that was before I realized he'd been up there since yesterday."

Spock turned to Ensign Jenkins. "It is because of Doctor Sargent's race that you believe her to be the best candidate for retrieval. Have you attempted any other solutions?"

Scott nearly scoffed. "O' course we have. We are a bit limited in what we can do, though."

"Can you show me where he is?" Nia's gaze met Spock's for a brief moment. "That way we can know if I really be of any help."

Both Jenkins and Scott nodded and began to lead the way. As they were walking, Scott turned to look Nia over with a critical eye, likely taking in the lean body structure and general color monotony of her features.

Realizing she hadn't been introduced, Nia held out her hand. "Doctor Niniane Sargent."

"Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, though you can call me Scotty." He said, shaking her hand briefly.

"Nia." She said to him.

Suddenly his facial expression lit up. "I've seen you before! You're the one who gets tossed by Sulu." He grinned. "Best entertainment on board, since the drama on the bridge has settled out."

Nia smiled sheepishly in response. "I've been hearing that a fair amount lately. Apparently there is a pool for how long I'll keep sparring against the lieutenant?"

"Damn right, there is. I won't be telling you how long I've bet." He winked at her.

She laughed and couldn't help, but glance over at the tall Vulcan walking next to her. He seemed perplexed as he looked back at her.

After a moment, he admitted "I have heard Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov speak of the woman the lieutenant was sparring with. I had not made the connection until now."

"Ah." She said, grin not leaving her face. "Well, for all the pain it brings my pride, I do enjoy sparring with – and losing to – Lieutenant Sulu. I do not expect to end it any time soon." She said, addressing both men. "Besides, three matches? That's nothing."

"Surely, you mean to say 'something' instead of 'nothing'."

"No, Commander. I meant 'nothing'. I was using a human turn of phrase to show that three matches with Sulu are not enough to convince me to stop sparring with him."

The commander seemed to think on her words before nodding. "I see."

Nia wasn't really sure he did, and neither was Scotty or Jenkins. No one called him on it though.

They arrived at their destination, and Scotty pointed up at where several pipes met and jointed in the same direction.

A small patch of a red uniform could be seen, and Nia bit the inside of her cheek at she examined the structures surrounding her.

"Is there anything dangerous in this area? Anything hot, I mean, or very cold? Anything I could be grievously injured by?" Nia finally asked Scotty.

"Now Nia, you're in the engine room." Scotty told her, this time eyeing her and clearly rethinking whether or not Ensign Jenkins' idea really had any merit. "I think there are still a few tricks we haven't tried. You should go back to your lab." He tried telling Nia.

Nia merely raised an eyebrow at him. "I take it you've never seen a Paladian climb?" She promptly reached out and grabbed a pipe just above her head and lifted herself up before any of them could protest further. Sometimes, a girl just has to make a decision and stick with it.

The trio remaining below watched as the Paladian swiftly continued her climb, every so often pausing to barely balance herself before reaching of the next pipe, or walking along the edges of various structures. When she finally approached the area where Keenser was, they saw her shift into a sitting position and carefully slide her way to him.

From where he was standing, Spock could just make out the movement of her lips and jaw, evidence that she was in fact speaking with Keenser. It had taken her very little time reach him, despite the foreign nature of the machines around her. He knew Paladians were evolved to a forested habitat, that they valued the skill of climbing almost more than intelligence. Spock did not see the logic in such a view point, but perhaps that was merely due to the environment he was born from. A Paladian might see the skill of climbing as something vital to survival, while he, a Vulcan, did not.

Nevertheless, the commander was better able to understand the frustration of Crewman Michaels two days previous as he watched Doctor Sargent climb. While the doctor normally operated with a refreshing amount of professionalism, there were times when she showed a remarkable ability to… to…

"Well, that's one way to take a bull by the horns." Jenkins said.

_Precisely. _

While Spock had been musing, Jenkins and Scotty had been watching Nia climb with a growing sense of shock. Certainly, they knew she could climb, but to do so, and so expertly, was a surprise for both crewmembers.

It appeared to be a relatively short conversation before Nia began her way down. This time she stepped a little more carefully. It took a moment for those waiting below to realize why.

"What's she doing?" Scotty asked, baffled.

Jenkins shrugged. "I have no idea, Commander."

Spock stepped forward, eyes also on the descending figure. "It appears, Mr. Scott, that Doctor Sargent has resorted to carrying your assistant on her back."

Scotty stared at the pair of figures, now more visible, as Nia continued moving. She appeared only slightly hindered by the extra weight.

"Why?" Scotty finally asked.

Jenkins merely shrugged again, and again it was Spock who answered him. "Paladian ancestors harvested from the trees of Palad and spent most of their lives in the trees. It is only logical the species adapted and gained the strength necessary for those tasks."

"So, she's carrying him on her back?" Jenkins was confused enough to forget as to whom she was addressing.

Instead of answering her question, Spock asked one of his own. "Do not Earth primates carry their children while climbing through the jungle?"

When the pair finally set their feet on the floor in front of the trio, Scotty spoke up.

"What, you were too lazy to come down on your own and had to wait for a female…" His voice trailed off as he got a good look of his assistant.

"Sir," Jenkins said slowly "was he always that color?"

The engineer swore under his breath. "No, he's usually a fair bit darker." He swore again, his words unintelligible to the others.

Nia hadn't moved from her spot behind Keenser and looked up to find Spock watching her. While the others were realizing there was something wrong with Scotty's assistant, Nia jerked her chin in Jenkins' direction then at Keenser before looking back at him.

Not certain what the doctor was trying to tell him, Spock realized that Keenser likely needed medical attention.

"Mr. Jenkins." He said.

The woman in question straightened and looked to her commanding officer. "Yes, sir?" She asked.

"Escort Mr. Keenser to the medbay then report for your shift in the labs. Do not be late." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." Jenkins looked expectantly at Keenser.

Who in turn looked expectantly at Scotty. "Go on. I've no use for an ill assistant."

Keenser sighed and shuffled behind Jenkins as the two left Engineering for the medbay. As they left, Scotty spared Nia a grateful smile.

"Thank ye, lass. Not sure when he would have come down if he wasn't feeling right."

Scotty leadled the remaining two back to the turbolift, only pausing to laugh when Nia stumbled.

She attempted to walk it off, but Spock had to ask her if she was well.

Blushing, she told him "Climbing is much different than walking, Commander, and I'm only good at one of them."

"If that's the case, then no wonder you get tossed so much by Lieutenant Sulu." Scotty chuckled, and shook his head.

Once Scotty left them, Nia was expecting a quiet trip back to the deck her lab was on. Instead, the commander proved her wrong by starting the conversation.

"What message were you attempting to convey?"


	7. Chapter 6

**Alright here is a little bit of a longer chapter, I hope you all enjoy it. As always, many thanks to my wonderful beta TheWindowView. She has not only been helping me churn out these chapters as fast as possible with few (if any) mistakes and pushing the plot into path I want it, but she is also allowing me to post this on my birthday before she drags me out for a day on the town. Love ya, girl. :D **

**Please, read and enjoy. Any comments are welcome :) **

_"What message were you attempting to convey?"_

Nia twitched, surprised he spoke, then frowned as she realized what he said. "I don't understand what you are asking."

"Before, in Engineering, you were attempting to convey a message pertaining to Ensign Jenkins?" He tried again.

A light bulb went off. "Oh! Yes, I was trying to ask you to have Jenkins escort Keenser to the medbay."

He almost frowned. "It was unnecessary to do. Due to the duties of Lieutenant Commander Scott and myself, it was logical to have Ensign Jenkins or yourself do the task." He paused, and seemed to come to a realization. "You already knew this. You did not desire for yourself to be chosen."

"Exactly." Nia told him.

"Why?" He asked. He could see no reason for her to be unwilling to perform the task. She was comfortable enough with the assistant to carry him, and had been to the medbay at least once prior. "Do you have a fear of the medbay or Doctor McCoy?"

"Do- Wh- No. Not exactly." Nia shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"You have previously been unwilling to go to the medbay, yet at that time Lt. Sulu and Ens. Chekov had escorted you to the medbay the day prior." He stated before concluding "An event must have taken place to cause your aversion to the medbay."

Nia winced. "It is nothing like that, but… you will find my reasoning illogical."

His only response was to tilt his head in her direction. For Nia, the meaning of his gesture was clear. He was expecting illogical.

She decided to bite the bullet. "I'm embarrassed."

The near frown was back. "Embarrassed?"

"Yeah, embarrassed. Do you know how many times I've been to the medbay for treatment?" Nia asked while rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

"I only know of the single time."

"I've been three times." Seeing his lack of reaction to her statement, she added "Each time was for something I had done that was either foolish or could be considered as such."

"And you wish to avoid further mockery?" Spock asked.

Realizing he might be thinking McCoy or one of the other medical personnel had been inappropriate toward her, Nia rushed to explain. "Not mockery. I'm not mistreated by anyone, at all. I just would prefer to avoid being labeled a walking disaster."

The turbolift opened at her stop and the commander stepped out with her, deciding to escort her to the labs. He had adequate time prior to his shift.

He was beginning to understand. "That is why you did not wish to receive medical attention – "

"After walking into a handrail that could have been avoided had I been looking? Yes, that's why. That, and it would have been my third medbay visit in a single 24 hour period." She sighed. As it was, her third visit had come with her second sparring match with Sulu.

"Are there not measures to take to ensure your safety?"

Of all the questions to ask. She leveled him with a look, and was not at all satisfied with his stoic response. Instead of answering him, she decided to stare straight ahead and near ignore him until they reached the labs.

Sensing he had somehow upset her – her glare had seemed oddly placed and was an expression he had not yet seen on her face – Spock decided to allow her to be the first to break the ensuing silence. He was beginning to wonder if all Paladians were so… human.

Just before they reached the labs, Nia suddenly pause and turned to the commander. "What is the current stardate?"

Puzzled he told her and was even more puzzled by her reaction.

"In two days we'll be about halfway to the settlers." She informed him, a faint smile curving her lips.

"I am aware." He told her.

Running a hand through her hair, she entered her lab. "Well, I suppose I should get to work. I set out a fair amount to get done today." She turned to Spock, who had already started to leave. "Have a pleasant shift, Commander."

By now used to the human way of well-wishing, Spock only nodded in acceptance of her statement and continued on to the bridge.

Nia rubbed her face as she looked around in the lab. She needed to get to work. Going down to Engineering had been a nice break from what she had been doing, but she needed to work.

She settled down behind the computer for a moment before getting up and starting to gather supplies together. Crewman Michaels joined her shortly and glanced at the computer. Silently, she began gathering supplies alongside Nia.

Nia allowed herself to smirk. Once Michaels and Nia decided to work together, things had become much smoother in the lab. The two worked quite fluidly together, in most instances.

"So, Doctor, what took so long?" Michaels finally asked.

Nia grinned. "Well, turns out…"

* * *

The rest of the day was spent working as was the next day, trying to make up for any wasted time from earlier in the day or even from the beginning of her trip on the starship. She even made some headway on getting the research from Starfleet loaded into her own files. She still had a long way to go, but Michaels was proving to be incredibly helpful in that area of work.

Having Michaels integrate the research allowed Nia to test and experiment a few topics that she had yet to try.

When it was time for the evening meal, Michaels almost literally had to drag Nia away from her work.

"Come on, Doctor. You can't tell me that working through this meal will put you any closer to the answer. You need a break." Michaels tried telling her.

Nia didn't even look up from her task. "I had plenty of break time for the first six days on this trip. And I still take breaks, now."

Michaels took a deep breath to keep her focus on _not_ sounding insubordinate. "Early breakfast, short lunch, sometimes dinner, and sparring matches with Lt Sulu aren't enough. Don't you have a team back on Earth working on this? What about on Palad?"

Nia sighed. "There is only one other scientist working on Earth, the rest are working on Palad. No one else had access to this kind of research though. Not even close." She finally looked up. "Besides, the other daytoday I helped in Engineering. That was a big enough break to last me until tomorrow, when Lt Sulu gets to wipe the mat with me again."

Narrowing her eyes, Michaels starred at Nia wondering just what it would take to get her out of the lab.

The day previous, Michaels had timed the woman on her lunches. Fifteen minutes, while she gave the crewman an hour. Michaels never took that long, knowing that the doctor appreciated having her format the research and flag anything that met the basic parameters of their search.

Out of curiosity, Michaels even timed Nia at breakfast. Fifteen minutes, including the conversation with Nurse Chapel.

Michaels understood the driving force, she really did. If Earth's crops were in as much danger as Palad's were, the crewman herself would be putting in as many hours as Nia was.

Then she noticed Nia was skipping the evening meals. She suspected the woman was feeling guilty for not having her work as a higher priority earlier on.

Skipping meals was not a habit to get into though; all the information on Paladians indicated that three meals a day were important. Michaels was torn. She'd already tried the "It's not healthy" approach, but Nia had brushed her off. And how does one defend not working on the problem endangering your people's way of life?

Finally, she pulled out her last resort on the third day in a row Nia was planning on missing a meal. It was fourteen days into their trip, almost exactly half way to their destination. "Doctor Sargent, what you do is your choice. However, I am curious as to the official policy on taking care of yourself. Ma'am, do you think Commander Spock or Doctor McCoy would be the ones to ask?"

Nia froze in her seat and then slowly turned to look at Michaels, one eyebrow arched high in reproach. "You wouldn't…"

"Wanna bet?" Michaels gave up on decorum. She didn't think would care as much anyway, not in this situation.

Nia glanced longingly at her PADD.

Michaels pushed herself up from the desk. "I suppose I'll go ask one of them now. Do you think the Commander is in the mess hall by now?"

Growling, Nia stood up from her chair and took off her lab coat. "Bite me, Michaels." She snapped and stormed out of the lab, head held high.

It came to pass, that Nia did not regret breaking for dinner. The few times she'd spent the evening meal in the mess hall, Christine and Jenkins had sat with her. This evening though, she sat at a full table, one that seemed to exponentially grow as what looked to be the whole alpha shift showed up in the mess hall. And sat with her.

When she first arrived, neither Christine nor Jenkins were in sight. Nia just grabbed her meal from a replicator, and sat down at an empty table.

Within minutes, Chekov and Sulu had joined her. Unsurprisingly, the two started ragging on Nia for various things. The favorite was that she was swiftly becoming the ship's new mascot and insisted that she should start wearing more brown and attach a tail to her lab coat. Or that she should start walking on her knuckles like a chimp.

To this she responded "Maybe you are right. I could begin behaving like your Poe's famous orangutan and start pulling scalps off in amazing feats of strength."

Sulu looked worried, while Chekov grinned. "Aye," the Russian lad said. "But then that orangutan was also able to throw bodies. It seems Sulu more fits that role than you, no?"

She decided to be mature and stuck her tongue out at him. She regretted the move when the young man stared at the bright fuchsia muscular hydrostat and continued staring at her mouth when it disappeared.

"Your tongue is pink." Chekov stated, a little baffled.

Sulu coughed uncomfortably.

Thankfully, Nia was saved from responding by another woman deciding to join the group. Nia had seen her before, but not yet had the chance to meet her, this Lieutenant Uhura.

"I felt the sisterly need to save you from the boys." The dark skinned woman said after introducing herself. She settled down next to Nia.

"Don't believe her." Yet another voice piped up. "She just wants the chance to practice her Paladian on you."

Nia looked up at the speaker in surprise as he pulled a small table and a set of chairs over to connect with the rest of the group. She recognized him, had met him when she first arrived on the ship. It wasn't entirely standard procedure, but was still common for captains to greet guests on their starships.

"Captain." She greeted. What was he doing? The captain has a separate mess, doesn't he? Nia noticed none of the other crewmembers seemed particularly surprised at his antics, though Lt Uhura discreetly rolled her eyes.

"Decided to eat with the commoners?" Uhura asked cheekily.

Her question clearly took him by surprise and he grinned at her. "Of course. How else would I keep the crew from ganging up on our _special_ guest?" He gestured to the others at the table.

"Oh, so you are being chivalrous, Captain?" Nia asked. She caught the look Uhura sent her way.

"Absolutely, Doctor."

Nia wasn't sure what to think of the smirk he wore as he said that.

A throat cleared and Nia realized the captain wasn't the only one who sat at the table. "Doctor McCoy!" Nia said in surprise.

"Sargent." He responded with a nod.

The captain was surprised. "You two know each other, Bones?"

"She's a frequent visitor of the medbay." The CMO told him dryly.

Nia protested. "I'm not a frequent visitor. It has been at least four days since my last visit."

"And your last sparring session with Lt. Sulu."

Kirk came to a realization. "Oh, you're the one who has started sparring with Sulu?"

Nearly groaning, Nia nodded. Was there anyone on the ship that hadn't heard about that? McCoy was telling the truth, though. It had been four days. "Say, Sulu. Are you available to throw me around tomorrow?"

"Missing the smell of the mat?"

Nia opened her mouth to deliver what she hoped to be a cutting comeback when "Scotty!" was hollered in her ear.

Jumping, she turned to glare at the back of the captains head as the man in question waved down his chief engineer.

Once the Scottish engineer joined them, conversations broke out as they usually does in large groups, and eventually Nia found herself turning to the woman next to her.

"So, are you a linguist?" She casually asked.

Smiling, Uhura nodded. "_I am."_ The lieutenant dropped her use of Standard and was speaking to Nia in Paladian.

Nia's eyebrows rose in pleasant surprise. "_The Northern dialect too? Most Terrans find the Southern to be andbe an easier one to master."_

_"I enjoyed the challenge and have not yet attempted the Southern dialect."_ Uhura paused. _"I take it you are from the Northern continent?" _

Nia nodded. _"Yes, I am." _

_ "I have not been to Palad. Is it quite different from Earth?" _

Shrugging, Nia held up a hand and tilted it side to side in a way Henry had done frequently. _"So so. Palad does not have as wide a variety of climates as Earth, and is generally much cooler – "_

"See, Bones. Girl-talk can span the species."

Nia looked up just in time to see 'Bones' roll his eyes and shake his head. Then the captain turned to Nia.

"Don't you know it is rude to speak in language not everyone in your company can understand?"

Nia was really beginning to despise that smirk. She narrowed her eyes. "I'm Paladian, Captain. I was not raised on human rules of etiquette. However, I was made to believe that interruptions are also considered rude?"

From the corner of her eye, she could see Chekov and Sulu turning away from them as if to hide their faces. Nia couldn't see Uhura, so she had no idea as to the woman's reaction and McCoy and Scotty were carefully watching. Well McCoy might have been carefully watching, but Nia couldn't tell with that scowl. Scotty was watching like them like a woman watches soap operas, eager for the next eruption in drama.

Kirk went carefully still, obviously rethinking over the conversation, trying to prevent what could be a cultural faux pas. "Yes, yes they are. In social settings though, some rules of etiquette are relaxed."

Nia raised an eyebrow. "So this" she gestured to the mess hall "is a social setting?"

He let loose an almost unnoticeable sigh of relief. "This is about as social as it gets." He grinned at her.

"Is it?" She looked around as if in wonder then looked back at the captain. "Thank you for informing me, Captain." She nodded her head primly and turned to continue eating.

"Not a problem, Doctor." The man said.

Nia glanced at him as he started eating. He obviously had not read her file and thought she was unaccustomed to human mannerisms. Apparently, he hadn't been paying attention when she addressed Sulu in a very human manner. She wondered how far she could push his buttons, without getting herself in some deep trouble. The captain _did_ have quite a reputation…

McCoy suddenly asked, "What is that you're eating?"

Everyone at the table looked at Nia's plate as she paused mid bite. She carefully chewed and swallowed before answering "It's a type of Paladian white fish, a creamed root, and honey. It's not as flavorful nor does it quite have the same high fat content coming from a replicator, but it is good enough."

"High fat content? I guess you aren't trying to watch your figure." Uhura said.

Kirk gave Uhura a baffled look before he leaned closer to Nia. "She means that you aren't worried about becoming overweight, as a significant amount of human women are."

She nodded, before turning and smiling at Uhura. "_Actually I am trying to watch my figure. I have a faster metabolism and would rather not look like a stick." _She told Uhura in Paladian.

The other woman frowned for moment. Then her eyes went wide as she tipped her head back to laugh. It seemed Uhura had caught on, like Chekov and Sulu. Scotty was still watching them, and McCoy still scowling.

Like a wave, Nia felt suddenly exhausted. The long days in the lab felt like they were catching up with her, and she was all too happy to scrape up the last of her meal.

Finished, she stood from her chair. "I will see you tomorrow, Sulu. At the usual time?" The man nodded and she grinned at the group "Have a pleasant evening."

Walking away from the table, she heard the captain say "She must not have been on Earth long before boarding the _Enterprise_."

Nia was pretty sure it was McCoy who snorted in response.

* * *

A/N I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far: **QHJumper**, **Brooklyn**, **forestreject**,** England101**, **randomreader19**, **CalligraphersNib**, and **MaGiCaL MoOn**. I appreciate it :)


	8. Chapter 7

**I don't know how I did it, but I have another chapter written and feel driven to post. I have an exam this week, so I won't be posting quite so fast again. **

**Many thanks to TheWindowView for putting up with every very rough draft I send her way. **

**As usual, please read and enjoy :) All comments are welcome. **

"Any reaction yet?"

"Not yet."

"… And?"

"Nope."

"Not even a small change? Perhaps just a slight difference – "

"_No_"

"… How about now?"

"Actually, there seem to be something…"

"Really?"

"No."

"You're cruel, Michaels."

"Did I mention that Commander Spock is coming by the lab today to look over your work?"

"What?"

"Apparently not."

Nia stared at the younger woman in shock. Her assistant had oh so nicely forgotten to inform her that the commander was coming by. Not that him stopping by was anything odd or even of major importance, just… Nia looked around. Her lab was a _mess_. An organized mess, maybe to her, but still a mess. Most of the items she'd used over the last several days were still sitting out on the counters and her table was covered in several pieces of equipment and PADDs. There was also the corner of her lab where she'd spilt some of today's soil sample and had yet to clean it up.

A sinking feeling entered her stomach. It wasn't even technically her lab… she was so going to get kicked out.

"Hey I've got a reaction." Michaels said.

Nia wasn't paying attention. "Good, log it." She began putting away the things she wasn't currently using. After several minutes, Michaels spoke up behind her.

"I have a question."

"Shoot." Nia said. It had taken her months to understand that phrase.

"Don't you specialize in crops? Why are we studying soil based organisms and parasites?" Michaels asked.

Pausing, Nia set down the data PADD in her hand and leaned against the counter behind her. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed. "Crops have many enemies. My husband discovered the enemy to Palad's crops was an invasive parasite resistant to many of our repellants that spends most of its life in the soil. Currently, it is being kept at a slow spreading rate."

"But it's still spreading?" Michaels asked.

"Well, it's kind of like the mountain pine beetle that destroyed a large portions of North America's pine forests before it was controlled in the mid-twenty first century. We can't keep up with the reproduction rate. So, the crop production has been steadily getting worse and our government has put a restriction on importing food in order to prevent another pest from getting through."

"Which puts more strain on food production."

"Exactly. So instead, groups of my people – settlers – have been leaving and moving to other planets."

"Your friends?"

"And family, though my parents have already made it to the main colony." Nia was incredibly grateful for that. There were worse planets for the settlers to be stranded on, for _Paladians_ to be stranded on, but the situation was far from ideal.

"Wow." Michaels breathed. "I bet you are glad we are more than half way there."

She nodded. "Fifteen days in, about thirteen to go." Nia looked around the lab again and pushed herself up off the table. "So when did the Commander say he would be coming by?"

"15:00, didn't he tell you at the midday meal?" Michaels asked, surprised.

Nia glanced at the crewman and frowned. Something about the way she said that was off. "No, he wasn't there today. I ate with Ensign Jenkins instead, since she took an early lunch."

"Oh. Ok." Michaels was surprised at that answer too, but held back from saying anything more.

Again, Nia found Michaels response off. The other woman was clearly curious about something, yet was holding back. Her hesitance may have been out of respect for Nia's superiority. Asking too personal of a question can put a person in serious trouble. If that was the case, though, then Nia wondered what she was about to ask. Something to do with the commander, maybe?

Having her thoughts draw back to his impending visit, Nia said "Computer, time."

"14:56."

Nia narrowed her eyes at Michaels sudden sheepish expression. "You really couldn't have told me any _sooner_?"

Not waiting for a response, the doctor busied herself by gathering her notes and research data together. Most was kept on one main data PADD, with sections of the information backed up on others. Michaels handed her one of the alternate PADDs that had been used on the experiment just completed and Nia began updating the information.

Really, Nia wasn't quite sure why Commander Spock was coming to the lab to check over her work. She could easily send him the most of her data, or for the information she couldn't send Nia could just as easily show him her PADD at any point in time. Coming by the lab was an illogical waste of time to her.

And perhaps that was where her answer lay. To her, a Paladian humanoid that was much more an illogical being than a Vulcan found the situation to be illogical. However, maybe there was logic to the matter that she couldn't find.

It wouldn't be the first time, anyways.

At precisely 15:00, there was a gentle greeting from the doorway. Michaels jumped, and Nia smirked. The man could move quietly, she'd give him that.

"Commander, I was told you would be dropping by. I gathered my data," she handed the PADD across the table to him "onto this."

He merely nodded and accepted it, beginning to look through the documents at a speed Nia was sure she could never attain.

Unsure what to do, Nia settled herself on a stool and began setting up for the next experiment. Michaels caught on and began to do the same.

At one point in time, the commander had set the PADD down and was using the stylus to scroll while his hand lay lightly on the table beside him. Nia would likely not have noticed, if not for the fact her Paladian instincts started to kick in.

It was something distinctly Paladian, what happened next. She knew, _knew_, he was in pain. She couldn't see it, there was no outward physical proof, but she was completely certain that he was in pain. Reaching out, Nia firmly laid her hand over his and closed her eyes.

The contact was very, very brief as her jerked his hand away from hers.

Nia was reeling as she pulled back, realizing she may have severely offended the Vulcan man. Touching was not something they did idly. "I'm sorry," she said, gasping with the sudden upwelling of emotion inside of her. "I'm sorry." She said it again, then sat before sitting down hard on a stool. She swiveled in the seat and turned away from him, hiding her face as best she could. She knew the tears pouring down her face would only serve to make the situation more awkward.

Michaels was in shock, mouth open, eyes frantically darting between the two. She stood, and the commander's eyes flicked over to her, causing her to freeze.

"Crewman Michaels, if you would excuse us for a moment. Doctor Sargent and I have something to discuss." The order was clear.

Michaels nodded then left.

Spock stood where he was for a moment, analyzing his options in how to best respond. A sob caught his attention and he swiftly stepped around the table and came to a stop near Nia.

"Doctor Sargent, what is the source of your distress?" Originally, he was going to ask something else. Instead, he was baffled by her reaction and needed to better understand the situation.

"I-I'm sor-ry." Her sobs were breaking her speech. "I forgot th-that V-Vulcans are touch tele-lepaths. I didn't m-mean to cause a-any offense."

"Apologies are unnecessary. There is no offense to be taken where none is meant." He stepped closer. "However, what did you mean to do?"

She still wasn't facing him, and Nia refused to do more than glance at him out of the corner of her eye. By now, her whole body was trembling and she was holding her head with both hands while resting her elbows on the table. She felt utterly swamped by emotion and couldn't stop crying.

She finally spoke. "It's-it's a Paldian th-thing. We, we share emotion some-sometimes. Joy, anger, _grief._" She shook her head. "It's one of the-the ways we c-comfort."

It clicked. She was feeling his grief. "You are experiencing my grief." He stated.

She nodded.

Her reaction was making more sense, yet Spock was certain he was not and had not been emoting. "I must ask, how did you –"

"Know?" She interrupted. "I don't know. I – I have no clue." Just when Nia thought she was gained control, another round of sobbing struck. Her heart _hurt_. "It's s-so strong, y-your grief. Much stro-nger than… I- I can't…" At last, she looked up at the commander. "Co-commander, is-is this why Vulcans c-control th-their emotions?"

He nodded. "We control our emotions so they do not control us."

She didn't respond, but mentally acknowledged the sense of his statement. When Nia had touched him, she had innocently thought to comfort him. She had not expected the near instant slam of grief when she pulled away from him, and was regretting the rash decision.

When the commander standing next to her didn't speak again, Nia realized he just might have no clue how to handle the situation. A nearly hysterical scientist filled with someone else's grief? Yeah, definitely had to happen all the time.

Struggling, Nia stood and made a decision. She was going to go back to her quarters. From past experience she knew that grief like this, while stronger than what _she_ had previously felt, was physically exhausting. Nia would be of no more use in the lab today. Just as she wasn't the day that Henry died.

Taking haltering step forward, she addressed Spock "Commander, I-I think it best if I re-retire to my quarters."

It was a logical thing to do. "I will escort you there." Spock informed her.

Nia accepted his offer and continued walking, all the while knowing it really wasn't an offer. Before leaving the lab, though, she hesitated. Using the sleeve of her lab coat, she dabbed at her face and attempted to clean off what she could of the snot dripping from her nose. When she felt she was a presentable as she could be, Nia left the lab as quickly as she could. The pressure was building in her chest, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold back the sobs.

She walked swiftly through the corridors, wiping her face every so often, and avoiding eye contact with anyone she passed. Spock walked just as swiftly beside her. Neither said a word the entire trip, not even when they were alone in the lift.

They arrived at her quarters and Nia punched in the code to her door, leaving it open for Spock to follow, if he wished.

He did follow her, and stood quietly beside her when she sank into the couch in the small sitting area of her quarters.

As she tried to keep her breathing steady, Nia thought how to get herself out of the mess she'd made. Only one idea seemed even remotely plausible.

"C-Commander," She started, but stopped when she felt the pressure in her chest swell.

"Yes, Doctor?" He asked, patiently waiting for her to speak.

She tried again. "I don't mean to encroach on your privacy, I already did _that_." She chuckled wryly. "But you grieve for Vulcan, correct?"

There was no sharp intake of breath, no sigh, or any sort of movement really to indicate if he was bothered by her statement. "That is correct." Spoke simply told her.

Taking another slow breath, she asked "Would you mind… telling me about it? About Vulcan?" She paused then continued when he didn't speak. "I understand if you would rather not, I can find some other way, I just…" Words failed her and the vague motion she made with her hand really did nothing to further whatever she was trying to say. A sob escaped her.

"Before I give my answer, I must ask why you desire to know of Vulcan?"

She struggled to find the words she needed. "I think it might help. Right n-now I have this grief that is not mine. If you tell me of Vulcan, then maybe I can make my grief my own."

He nodded. "If the grief is then your own, then it stands to reason you would be better equipped to control the emotion." He settled in a chair near the where she was sitting, and folded his hands in his lap. "Very well, I shall tell of my home." And he began, first giving her the driest of facts. Things such as the climate and geology.

He often paused, allowing her to ask questions. Some questions he did not give direct answers to her and others he merely told her it was a cultural aspect only known to those in the community. Nia respected this, and completely understood. Some things just didn't translate well across the vast number of cultures.

She was careful never to question the workings of his culture, merely to ask questions about it. Nia let the commander control the flow of the conversation, knowing this was not something he would have done under normal circumstances.

It didn't take long for the foreign emotions to become familiar, an hour at the most. The muscles across her chest were still tight, and Nia couldn't seem to get her nose to stop running, but she was able to reign in everything else. The need to curl up and bawl was still present, but this time she was strong enough to hold it back.

She listened to him speak until it was apparently time for him to leave. He'd stood rather abruptly and informed her he needed to continue his rounds with the other scientists.

"Thank you, Commander." She said as she saw him the short distance to the door. "I really appreciate you speaking with me."

"It was of no consequence." Spock informed her.

Smiling, she told him "Thanks all the same."

Instead of replying, Spock merely nodded and left.

Exhausted, Nia shut the door that had been left open during the commander's entire visit and decided a nap would do her wonders. She settled in her bed and laid her head back. Her brain was constantly working over the information Commander Spock had given her, heart touched by the picture of his home that he had eventually painted for her.

This time, the tears that fell were within her control as she mourned for a people not her own.

* * *

A/N: I would like to thank **MaGiCaL MoOn**, **England101**,and **QHJumper** for reviewing. And especially MaGiCaL MoOn for the birthday wish :)

Also, thank you to all who have added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. I have noticed those too :)


	9. Chapter 8

**Many thanks to my lovely beta, TheWindowView :) **

**Read and enjoy. As always, any comments are welcome! **

"So, Spock," the captain drawled as his First Officer faced him. The two were standing in the hall just beyond the bridge. "You ever gonna tell me where you disappeared off to the day before yesterday?"

There are some a few things in life that James Kirk has not yet experienced yet. Such as being Captain during a five year mission, being the true first contact on unexplored worlds, and the like. Figuring out his First Officer, unfortunately, fell in that category. The Narada incident gave a great view into the Vulcan's personality under stress, but really wasn't an ideal picture of the man on an everyday basis. And try as Kirk might, he could not get any surer footing with the commander. The Spock from an alternate reality seemed to be an absolutely unrelated individual. For all Kirk knew, maybe Spock Prime was. Alternate realities and timelines were difficult to wrap one's head around.

"There was an issue I was required to help resolve."

"An issue that needed resolving? There something I need to know?" Kirk asked, worried and somewhat surprised.

"It is a situation pertaining to a more personal nature. I do not believe it to be significant." Spock informed him. Logically, informing the captain of the previous day's events should have had no personal significance. However, the commander felt himself reluctant to go into detail unless asked to do so.

Kirk snorted. Did Spock really think that was going to fly? As captain, it was his duty to know what was going on with his crew. At least, that was his excuse for prying. "What happened? Last time something of a 'personal nature' affected you, I ended up seeing my life flash before my eyes."

"Captain, nothing of the sort-"

"Just answer the question." Kirk stated.

It was then Spock noticed something curious. Something that was typically rare with any other starship, but the _Enterprise_. Something Spock was beginning to recognize more readily in his captain.

_Mischief._

Its presence was nonsensical to the commander. After hardly a moment of consideration, Spock decided to inform the captain and rid the man of whatever need for mischief he had.

"Were you aware that Paladians possess a form of touch empathy?"

"No, I wasn't." Kirk thought for a moment. "That means when they touch you, they know what you are feeling?" That was almost as frightening a prospect as the touch telepathy of the Vulcans.

Spock tilted his head at the man. "It was described to me as a method of sharing emotions, for various reasons. For example, joy is one that is commonly shared. Also grief, when a loved one is distressed." He clarified.

"And I presume Dr. Sargent was the one to explain it?" Kirk asked.

"Captain, you know of my whereabouts?"

"I do." His smirk was just a tad too smug.

"Then why did you inquire of them?" The only response Spock got was a shrug.

"So," Kirk drew the word out. "It was Dr. Sargent who explained it? Since she's the only Paladian on board, and you spent several hours in her quarters."

Resisting the urge to sigh, the commander nodded. "You are correct, Dr. Sargent did explain this aspect of her people to me."

"She touched you?" The captain briefly thought about asking _where_ she touched him, but knew that would be a mistake.

Spock nodded. "I am certain that you are unaware two days ago was the anniversary of the birth of my mother." The date would not have been significant to other Vulcans, however 'birthdays' were something his mother often insisted on recognizing.

Understanding filled Kirk. "And she tried to share her joy with you?"

"I am not certain," Spock subtly corrected. "However, the result was the sharing of my grief with her."

Chewing on his lip, Kirk sighed. "How is she?" He asked. Kirk saw his First Officer pause in well covered surprise and said "Come on, Spock. I know that Vulcan emotions are rumored to be stronger than human ones. _And_ I know you would have been grieving more than just your mother." Patting the commander's shoulder, he asked again "So, how is she?"

"She is adapting."

"Adapting? That's good. She'll need to, what with being around new species and cultures. We can't have her touching just anyone."

The captain's word choice seemed odd to Spock, but the Vulcan believed he understood what Kirk was attempting to say. "Actually, Dr. Sargent stressed that such a thing is considered an invasion of privacy when done to strangers. It is reserved for those that are considered family, including those close through friendship."

"Really?" Kirk responded. "Then why did she touch you? And for that matter, how did she know you were grieving? I know it didn't slip past your control."

Glancing away, Spock raised an eyebrow. Both were valid questions. "Neither Dr. Sargent, nor myself know the answers to either of those questions. It appears to have been instinctual. She merely knew and acted accordingly, per her culture."

"She just knew?" the blond man asked, incredulous.

"It appears so, Captain." Spock didn't know why the captain seemed disappointed by his answer. He also didn't understand why the conversation was so repetitive. The truth of his answers did not change, and thus there was no reason for clarification.

Jim Kirk watched Spock for a moment then shrugged. If the man was clueless, then he was clueless. Maybe Bones was right. Maybe meddling really was only a pain in the ass. With a noncommittal grunt, the captain turned on his heel and walked onto the bridge. It was time to report for duty anyways.

In the lab, Crewman Michaels frowned into the microscope as a certain thought kept pressing on her. Pursing her lips she glanced at the back of the woman across the lab from her. Shaking her head, Michaels focused back on her task. She had no business even thinking about such a thing.

A sigh escaped her lips.

Nia felt her eyes cross. That was the eighth time the other woman had sighed since lunch and the doctor was really starting to wonder when her assistant was going to stop _beating around the bush_.

Opening her mouth, Michaels started to speak and panic hit her. Snapping her mouth shut, she changed her mind… again.

Nia turned when she heard the half syllable escape the other woman's lips. "Alright, I don't care what it is you have to say, just say it already! Anymore sighs and I am going to stick a probe in my eye so that I can escape to the medbay!"

Whatever Michaels had been expecting her to say, that was clearly _not_ it. Michaels almost sighed again, but caught herself just in time. Instead her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I just… I mean-ok, so… There might be some rumors spreading around the ship." The brunette sheepishly looked up at Nia, gauging her reaction.

_Rumors? What the…?_ Nia was baffled. "Rumors about what?" A stone was forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Rumors about you… and Commander Spock."

If Nia had been eating anything she would have choked. "_What?_ What do you mean? What _kind _of rumors?"

Michaels shrugged. "Oh just the usual ones."

"_Usual_ ones? I may have lived on Earth for nine years, but you are going to have to specify a bit more."

"Only that the two of you are in a possibly secret relationship." Seeing the look on Nia's face, Michaels quickly added "Well, it is a little odd that you two eat lunch together every day. And then Ensign Harris overheard that Commander Spock had 'disappeared' the day before yesterday… and was in your quarters. Which you never explained what happened in the lab that day… Dr. Sargent, are you alright?"

Fire. Her cheeks were on fire. That stone in her stomach? Lead, and gaining velocity as it dropped and dragged her stomach along with it. She was having flashbacks from her educational institute days.

"Dr. Sargent?" Michaels asked again.

Before she could respond, Nia felt a giggle bubble up inside her. Really, why should it matter what people think? Soon the giggle turned into a full blown laugh and Nia rubbed her face with her hands. Finally she answered Michaels' worried look with "You know, I think I've had closer intimacy with the sparring mats than with any male on this ship."

* * *

During his entire shift, the conversation with the captain bothered him. Spock was certain that he missed something significant during the conversation. Human mannerisms still escaped the Vulcan at times.

Perhaps it was due to the involvement of Doctor Sargent. The captain had seemed rather… particular about the scientist. In fact, the captain had already known of his whereabouts when he had inquired. Suddenly Spock was finding the other man's response to be unsatisfactory. Why would he ask if he had already known? Did the man have a negative opinion regarding the Paladian scientist? The captain did not appear to be disapproving, so another explanation must be available.

These questions hovered in the back of his mind, never impeding his ability to fulfill his duties yet still ever present, up until the end of his shift.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Spock requested a moment with the captain.

"Sir, I must request an explanation for our earlier conversation."

Kirk nearly rolled his eyes. "Mr. Spock I believe I told you my reasoning – "

"As a matter of fact, Captain, you did not. Instead you seemed highly interested in the involvement of Dr. Sargent. Is there a problem I should be made aware of?"

Well, Kirk had to give him credit. He wasn't going to let this one go easily. The captain opened his mouth to respond and thought better of what he was going to say. Finally, he let out a puff of air and looked around him before gripping Spock's arm and leading the Vulcan to a more private part of the hall. "Look, Spock, you must be aware of the rumors that have been circulating. About you and Sargent."

Spock nodded. "Yes, Captain, I am aware of the assumptions of some of the crew. However, I fail to see the connection."

"So then there is no truth to the rumors? There's no relationship developing between you two?" Kirk frowned. That was definitely not what he had been hearing.

The other man's brow furrowed slightly. "It would be illogical for Dr. Sargent to choose myself as a mate."

"Why do you say that?"

"While Vulcans and Paladians have both successfully paired with Humans, there is no precedent for a Vulcan and Paladian pairing. Such a match would be unlikely to produce viable offspring."

Kirk sputtered. "Viable offsp..? What the hell are you talking about?" He rubbed his face with his hand. "Spock, man, having a relationship is not just about having kids. Haven't you ever thought about, I don't know, companionship? Love? Hell, lust even?"

"Captain, I assure you I fully understand the purposes to choosing and bonding with a mate. Companionship, the strengthening of ties between families, and indeed procreation are all very important factors in a relationship." Spock was unsurprised by the need to give Captain Kirk this information. According to Vulcan standards, the captain had behaved very inappropriately throughout his time at the Academy.

"So if you take out the … _procreation_… would you still consider a relationship with Dr. Sargent?" Kirk paused. "Wait, you listed procreation as a reason for _her_ not desiring to be with you. What about you desiring to be with her?" Good Lord, Kirk realized he was on the verge of giving relationship advice to his first officer. To his _Vulcan_ first officer, who almost had a relationship with a certain Lieutenant. Oh boy.

Spock thought on his answer before stating "Dr. Sargent is a quite capable woman and has particularly proven herself through her work. She is aptly sociable and appropriately respectful."

"Ok… I'll take that as a 'yes'." The captain thought for a moment. "How are relations between Paladians and Vulcans at the moment?"

"Strained. Palad claimed to be more limited in resources than was documented and hence was unable to fulfill the aide agreement set by a previous treaty between the two planets."

"Huh." Kirk had nothing to say to that. "Well, I don't know. Maybe a successful relationship between the two races would help smooth the waters. Anyway," the shorter man hit the other on the arm, not caring that he tensed under the contact, before continuing "think on it. And maybe talk to her. Procreation isn't important to everybody."

Spock watched Kirk leave and took a moment to mull over the contents of the discussion in his head.

He decided that perhaps discussing the potential for interests with the woman in question may be the most logical course of action.

Walking quickly, Spock efficiently navigated his way to the turboliftturbo lift, and then through the halls to the lab Dr. Sargent had been assigned.

As he approached, he could clearly hear giggling coming through the open doorway. Bits of conversation followed.

"So you just _fell_ head over heels" said a voice Spock quickly recognized to be Crewman Michaels. He noted the odd breathiness to her tone "for _Matt_ with his _dark_ looks, smooth exterior, and convenient placement."

Matt was a human name. Michaels must be speaking of a fellow crewmember, but who was she speaking to?

"Oh yes, you know I just can't resist him." Dr. Sargent's voice was equally breathy. "I just keep _falling_ over and over again."

"Even though he gets all sweaty?" Michaels giggled, and Spock realized the two women were discussing Dr. Sargent's relationship with another male on board.

"Oh especially when he's all sweaty.?" Nia snorted. "I kinda have no choice, but to get intimate then."

Spock felt something twist inside him as he listened. It was illogical for him to react adversely to the conversation, as it was illogical for him to listen in the first place. Spock had already acknowledged that Dr. Sargent possessed many qualities a mate should possess, if not for a Vulcan suitor then for a Human one most certainly. He could hardly blame another male for agreeing.

Michaels voice had raised in pitch as the conversation continued. "And to think, it all happened because of Sulu. Who knew he could be such a… _match_-maker."

In the ensueingensuing laughter, Spock decided he had heard enough. It was time for the evening meal, though the women in the lab had obviously not realized it yet. Or had already eaten.

Spock ignored whatever was manifesting in his gut, and opted for the logical option of leaving the area.

Meanwhile, Nia was wiping tears from her eyes. "Oh man, Michaels. You crack me up."

Michaels raised her hands defensively. "Hey now, you are the one who admitted to having gone further with the sparring mats than anyone would care to know."

Nia rolled her eyes. "Oh ha ha. You realize I'm probably going to be thinking about this conversation during my next sparring match."

"Oh good. Then you can tell Sulu about him being a match-maker."

"And have him look at me like I'm crazy?" Nia asked. "Yeah, no thank you."

Michaels chuckled. "So, back to our earlier topic… is there really nothing going on between you and the commander?"

Sighing, Nia shrugged. "I have the utmost respect for the man, but really, why would he want be? I'm not a member of his species." She paused. "Either of them. I'm willing to bet he'd be much more comfortable with a Human or a Vulcan wife than a Paladian one."

Her assistant frowned. "Well, ok. So do you want there to be a relationship forming?"

"I think I've already said enough. And if you tell anyone what I've told you" the scientist mock glared at the younger woman "there are special Paladian punishments for failed secret keepers."

If she was trying to be intimidating, she utterly failed. Michaels ended up laughing so hard she fell from her stool and lay on floor until she could breathe again.

* * *

A/N I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I really liked writing this one, I must say.

Thank you to **MaGiCaL MoOn**, **QHJumper**,** Fruityloops87**, **England101 **for reviewing. Also, I want to thank those who have added this story to favorites/alerts. I'm glad to know people are enjoying this story.


	10. Chapter 9

**I had toyed with the idea to hold out a little longer with this update, but really I can't resist. Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView. She was a big help with this chapter and the one previous. **

**Please, read and enjoy. Any comments are welcome :) **

Nia sighed as she looked around the medbay. Doctor McCoy was there, but she didn't see Christine anywhere.

She supposed it was a good thing that the medbay was mostly empty. Only a couple patients, with only a few of the medical staff in view.

Dr. McCoy finally noticed her and headed her direction. "What is it this time?" He asked, clearly dreading the answer.

Nia smiled. "Just looking for Christine. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's in the back. Though, I am the doctor. I could probably help you as well as a nurse can." He told her, and then added "Even the head nurse."

"Only if you want to go to lunch with me and engage in large amounts of 'girl talk'." She said with a cheeky grin.

The CMO grimaced. "Not on your life." He promised. "Or mine. Ever. If you are expecting to get that service from Chapel though, you might find yourself disappointed.

Nia frowned. "Oh? Why is that?"

"She's already been down to the mess. Her scheduled meal break is an hour earlier. As you can see, there wasn't a reason for her to miss it." He told her as he gestured to the almost empty medbay.

"Of course." She groaned. "Is it too much to ask to want some company during lunch? My usual companion has up and disappeared, probably due to some schedule change, and while we didn't talk it was still _nice_ and Jenkins and Michaels both bailed on me _again_ all for the name of science." She let out a frustrated moan as she vigorously rubbed her face with her hands. Her shoulders slumped. "I give. Lunch for one take three." She mumbled. "Well then, I won't bother disturbing Christine. Sorry for taking up your time."

During her tirade, McCoy had only paid attention to one thing. The fact that her usual 'companion' disappeared, presumably without telling Dr. Sargent why and McCoy _knew_ who that 'companion' was. He also knew Jim had decided to open his fool mouth earlier in the week about some rumors circulating the ship, _after_ McCoy had told him not to.

As the woman went to leave, McCoy sighed internally before calling out to her "If you can wait, the bridge crew breaks on the hour." Not wanting to seem too obvious, he also said "You can rib Sulu for finally tossing him."

A new grin bloomed on Nia's face, this one a bit too smug for McCoy's taste. "I wonder if Chekov's heard about that yet."

McCoy chuckled. "I think the whole ship has heard about that by now. Harris dragged Sulu in here limping and had no trouble informing us exactly why." And the why was standing directly in front of him. The woman had finally dropped Sulu and had dropped him _hard_.

"You know," Nia said. "I don't think I'll be tossed as near as much anymore. See you, McCoy." And then sheShe then left,left- her steps a bit more confident than they had been previously.

As he watched her walk out of the medbay, McCoy shook his head. He was becoming as bad as Jim. Sargent was going to go and practically fawn over Chekov and Sulu. Uhura might join them, but she wouldn't be able to stop the inevitable decrease in maturity as the trio started one of their many debates. In very short time, the Paladian would share the center of attention in the mess hall with both helmsmen. Considering how the males outnumber the females the attention would mostly be on her…

McCoy felt no sympathy for the pointy eared bastard.

Nia did end up waiting, returning to her lab and setting up experiments and areas of research to look into after lunch. Earlier in the day she had briefly considered skipping lunch instead of eating alone, but thought better of it. The Paladian had finally put back on the three pounds she'd lost from previously skipping meals. Plus, the thought of another ultimatum from Michaels was not appealing if skipping lunch became a habit.

At about five 'til she head down to the mess hall, not willing to wait any longer before eating. When she got there, she was surprised to see Dr. McCoy already there and waiting for someone.

Nia grabbed her lunch from a replicator and then settled herself at an empty table. When she next looked up, she saw who McCoy had been waiting on. Captain Kirk and Commander Spock had walked in and gotten their lunch apparently just after her and were already seated with the doctor.

Without her really thinking about it, Nia's eyes lingered on the Vulcan commander. She wondered for the briefest moment if she had offended him and his no longer eating lunch with her was his way to deal with it. It didn't seem to fit, since it was an illogical way to react, to turn from confrontation. She'd just about had herself fooled into thinking it was a schedule change and nothing to do with _her_ when she'd discovered the next shift in schedules was supposed to happen _after_ the Paladian settlers were rescued.

Reminded of the settlers, Nia realized the ship was a day more than a week away from the planet, by the projected time. She wondered what conditions they would find the settlers in. The planet they are were stranded on was a class 'M' with poor resources, and so far that's was all she was being told. Ideally, 'poor conditions' equaled 'near wasteland', which equaled 'survivable conditions' for most humanoids. This typically entailed a desert planet with multiple flourishing oasis, or an ocean planet with some sort of land mass, or even an ice planet with caves or other forms of shelter. Each needed to have some form of food and water source, also. Concerned, the scientist wondered what kind of planet her people were on and what conditions they were forced to endure. She turned the thought over in her mind before shoving it away.

Thinking on it now was of no help to her people. It only made Nia stress more and she could do absolutely nothing to quicken the ship's arrival. It would be best to assess the situation once they got to arrived at the planet and she was fully informed.

A tray thumped down in front of her and Nia was grateful for the break for her thoughts as a young Russian sat down across from her.

"It is unusual to see you here now, Sargent. And by your lonesome." He told her before digging into his meal with a gusto reserved for seventeen year old males.

"Does that mean I shouldn't make this my new usual?" Nia asked, one eyebrow raised raising an eyebrow.

"Oh don't give him a hard time." A feminine voice said from beside her. Uhura sat down. "You know what he meant."

Nia shushed her. "Don't tell him that," she whispered loudly. "Anyways," she said in a normal voice "everyone else bailed on me for lunch. So, until further notice I will be crashing on your mess hall time."

Chekov stared at her. "You were born on Palad, correct?"

"Yes." Nia answered, not understanding where the question was coming from.

"Then how do you speak so much like a human?" He asked.

"Chekov!" Uhura hissed under her breath.

Giggling, Nia only smiled. "It's a valid question Uhura. I'm surprised Sulu didn't tell you, he's already asked me." She sighed. "I was married to a human man for five years and lived on Earth for two years prior to that."

"So you've lived on Earth for seven years?" Uhura asked.

"Nine." Nia clarified. "My husband died two years ago, but I didn't leave Earth. It also helped that I traveled to Earth frequently with my parents as a child."

Chekov looked interested. "Were your parents ambassadors?"

Shaking her head, she told him "Oh no, nothing like that. My mother was in love with xenoanthropology, and my father was in love with her."

"That's sweet," Uhura said.

Nia nodded. "She claimed Earth was always the best place for her to get the most up to date information, though I firmly believe she just wanted the excuse to travel to her second favorite planet."

"And with you living there I bet she has an ever greater excuse."

"Like you wouldn't believe." Nia shook her head and the two women shared a laugh. Chekov may have chuckled also, but his mouth was too full for anyone else to tell.

It was then that Sulu finally joined them.

"You're late." Nia said as she mock glared at him.

"Fashionably late, though." He corrected her.

"Since when do guys know anything about fashion?" Chekov belched as Uhura spoke and the woman gestured at him. "Point proven!"

Nia snorted. "Come on that was nothing, hardly even a real burp." She paused for a few seconds, looking off into the distance with her back slowly straightening, when Uhura clasped her hand over her mouth before she could let out a 'real' burp.

"Don't. Please, just don't." Uhura pleaded. "I still have mental scars from the last burping contest you two got into."

"And that was in an almost empty Rec Room where no one could see you associating with them." Sulu added.

Uhura pulled her hand away and Nia stuck her tongue out after quietly expelling the air she'd gathered in her stomach. Unfortunately the Lieutenants had a point. Maybe the crowded mess hall wasn't the best place to start that kind of contest.

Instead Nia decided to talk about the match that took place the day before. In a way. "So, Sulu. How's the leg?"

The glare he sent her had both Chekov and Uhura laughing.

Jim Kirk watched the group as the sound of laughter rose. Sulu appeared to be hiding his face and Sargent was a brilliant shade of pink as she listened to Chekov and Uhura tell a story. He could guess what it was about.

Turning his eyes back to his tablemates, Kirk decided to completely ignore the sudden shaking of Bones' head and ask "So, Spock – "

Lieutenant Commander Scott sat down at the table. "I am starving." He saw the Vulcan commander open his mouth and Scott continued "Figuratively speaking." Then the man dug into his heaped sandwich.

Kirk couldn't help, but watch in morbid fascination as the man nearly inhaled his food. "Are you even breathing, Scotty?"

Scotty gave a muffled grunt and continued eating. He gestured with his hands for them to continue the previous conversation. It was just then an excessively loud gale of laughter came from a table across the mess hall. This time, the comparatively pale skinned woman was telling a story, her hands waving as she spoke. Every once in a while she would use a hand to brush her unbound hair behind her shoulder. A portion of her story could be heard.

"… and then she came out, sputtering and swearing, claiming that the shower was possessed. She didn't know that Jacek had been turning the access to the hot water on and off for a good ten minutes…" The laughter from her tablemates covered her voice and the men at the other table couldn't hear the end of her statement.

"Oh my," Scotty said, still chewing the remnants of his latest bite. "She is certainly the life of the party. Any lucky feller snatch her up yet?"

Grinning slyly at Spock, Kirk was about to answer (again despite the look Bones was sending him) when the man he had just looked at spoke up.

"A man by the name of Matt." Spock had not intended to part with the information, but found himself doing so after the engineer's scrutiny of Dr. Sargent and the odd look the captain had given him.

"Oh really?" Scott asked, surprised. "How long has that been going on?"

Even McCoy seemed interested. "Not that I support the rumor mill, but I'm surprised that tidbit of information hasn't become public knowledge yet."

Kirk snorted. "It must not be serious then. Girls want to tell the world when they think they have a fine catch. So either she doesn't think he's much, or he doesn't think she's much." Plus, she'd been eating her meals with only a few _select_ individuals,. iIncluding the Vulcan sitting across from him.

"Ain't that the truth." Scotty commiserated. "I remember one lass telling my mother about our relationship before I'd even had the chance to even tell my mother I was looking for someone to date."

After a glance at the Vulcan to see an unchanged expression, McCoy asked "So you think she's being used?"

Kirk shrugged and looked back over at the table where the subject of their discussion was still talking animatedly. "You said his name was Matt?" He asked Spock.

He nodded.

"You know his last name? What department he works in?" With that information, he could pull up the man's file and get a glimpse into his character. Beyond the fact he was insanely curious, it was troublesome to have an ongoing relationship onboard without his knowledge of it. While the fact she is was a civilian consultant allows allowed her more freedom havingto relationships with Starfleet personnel, there is was still documentation to be filled out so that unfavorable situations can could be avoided. Or at the very least, prepared for.

"I was not privy to that information." His first officer responded quickly and without hesitation.

"Oh." Kirk supposed he really shouldn't be all that surprised. He wouldn't have wanted to know much more either.

"Jim, why are you sticking your nose in business that isn't yours?" McCoy finally had to ask.

"Why Bones, I'm amazed you have to ask."

"Jim." Bones warned.

"Look, if there is an inter-personnel relationship, then it needs to be documented. You understand that."

Bones grumbled and nodded. Yeah, he did understand that.

"So, anything else you know about this 'Matt', Spock?" Kirk asked.

Spock paused. "Nothing pertaining to the task at hand, sir." The attraction of Nia to this man was not pertinent. Nor was his agitation by it logical. "Perhaps Lieutenant Sulu would be of greater aide."

"'Sir'? Come on, Spock. Even Scotty here knows to call me Jim when we're not on duty."

Mouth temporarily empty, Scotty offered "Aye" before taking another bite.

"So Sulu might be one to talk to." Kirk conceded, thinking.

"Or you might just talk to the female in question." Bones grumbled. "She already talked to _him_ about it." He added with a jerk of his head in the Vulcan's direction.

"Good point." Kirk nodded. "I'll talk to her later. For now I'm going to enjoy my lunch."

Only Bones noticed the hesitation before Spock also continued eating. McCoy would bet anything the hobgoblin was at least marginally uncomfortable with the thought of Jim talking to Sargent, but had no _logical_ reasoning for it.

* * *

A/N I hope you all enjoyed this scene, it was a bit amusing to write. Especially since, as I was writing it the event Nia is telling the others about was happening XD Hence, why I had to include it.

Thank you so much to **Tsovy**, **England101**, and **LovelyDeadlyLie** for reviewing. I really appreciate hearing from my readers. Also, reviews have a tendency of giving my muse the extra push it needs (hint, hint).


	11. Chapter 10

**Alright, I've done it again. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this pace up, but I have another chapter to post. The next may take a few more days than the updates have been as my poor, poor beta has been swamped by my writing madness on top of her busy life. I'm a few chapters ahead with this story, but try to update the next chapter when I have a new chapter written. As such, things have gotten interesting for my beta. Oh well. She loves me anyways (I hope). **

**As usual, please read and enjoy! Any and all comments/observations/critique/praise is welcomed.**

While Nia was not a morning person, she had never been anti-mornings. If she had to get up early, then she got up. If she was only able to get a minimal amount of sleep, she dealt with it. Most mornings, she didn't grumble, didn't swear, and didn't lay in bed contemplating the ways to kill the person who invented morning alarms.

This morning was an exception, proven by the extreme amounts of Paladian and Standard swear words filling her bedroom when once again her alarm went off when it wasn't supposed to.

"Computer! What part of 'turn off all alarms' did you not compute?" Nia shouted as she yet again violently tossed her coverings aside. This time she was thinking about smashing the screen on her desk, wondering if the trouble she would get in would be worth it.

After a mere four hours of sleep, her alarm decided to go off at 0300 hours, instead of at 0630 hours like it was supposed to. Thinking it was just a minor glitch, Nia directed the computer to stop the alarm and rolled over to go back to sleep.

The alarm had gone off five times since then, at uneven intervals. She'd thought she was going to cry after the third time, but that emotion had quickly faded.

Smashing the computer might just be worth it. Stupid things weren't supposed to glitch like this. They were supposed to be reliable.

Noticing it was 0615, Nia realized she had no more time to try to sleep and getting ready for the day would be a better way to spend her time, instead of ripping apart the piece of junk on her desk.

She spent the extra time taming her hair. It was much lighter in the low humidity environment of the ship than it would be on Palad or in San Francisco, and as a result her hair had a tendency to frizz and no longer fit into her many hair clips as well as before. Most of the Paladian men and women that had joined Starfleet had decided to keep their hair short and groomed close to the scalp. As tempting as that was for Nia, she liked her long hair. Plus, she didn't want to have to worry about her scalp drying out like the others did. Her long hair helped keep those necessary oils at a healthy level.

By the time she meet Christine in the mess hall, her hair was more attractive than it had been in days. Nia had been careful to keep it presentable, but never put much more effort into it. It was a waste of time to do so on an everyday basis.

Determined to have a good day, Nia smiled brightly at Christine and the two waited together to get their breakfast, chatting lightly.

Nia couldn't be sure, but she believed the replicator malfunctioned. Christine later insisted that Nia got exactly what she selected, but the scientist refuses to believe it. Nia very clearly remembered selecting a thick cream and grain dish popular in the Southern Paladian continent, not the blue mass she received.

Trying to keep her day light and happy, Nia merely gritted her teeth when she had to select her meal twice more. Finally, she had something edible on her tray and she sat down. Her chair wobbled, but the occasional rocking wasn't worth the bother to find a new chair or to attempt to fix the legs of the chair.

The rest of breakfast was uneventful and relatively peaceful as she and the nurse conversed. When finished, the scientist walked her friend to the medbay, as usual though she didn't enter, and headed to her lab.

Being stopped on her way there by a woman from the engineering department was unexpected. What the woman had to say though, left Nia gapping in the hallway, absolutely shell-shocked.

"Ma'am," the woman said. "You need to stop."

"Stop what?" Nia innocently asked.

The woman fidgeted. "Stop toying with the men on this ship."

"What?"

"Look, no one cares if you are in a relationship with one of the crew, it's just no one appreciates you first toying with Commander Spock and now you are playing Ensign Chekov and Lieutenant Sulu against each other."

"Huh?" was the only response Nia could come up with.

"Maybe it's respectable to flirt with other males on Palad while you are in a relationship with one, but humans find it distasteful." With a nod of her head, the unknown woman took her leave and left Nia standing there.

_What just happened?_ Nia wasn't sure how long she stood there, trying to wrap her brain around what the woman had just said to her, but all she knew was that it wasn't long enough for her to be successful. Still confused, Nia made her way to her lab. _What a weird morning._

It was after her short flight and rather undignified splat that Nia decided her morning had transcended weird and was simply awful. She'd forgotten about the short set of stairs leading into the labs. When she pulled herself off the floor, she realized she was going to have to go back to the medbay. Her nose was surely broken.

By the end of the day, Nia was so frustrated that it seemed she couldn't hold on to a single thing. She was repeatedly dropping sample dishes, chemical bottles, and data tablets.

She'd been made fun of for having to go to the medbay, _again_ for an injury. On a normal day, that wouldn't have mattered, but on this day it pissed her off to no end. Nia could handle McCoy's ribbing, but when both Jenkins and Michaels said the _same exact thing_ Nia thought she was going to explode.

Her tests before lunch had the appearance of going well, despite the few broken slides resulting from her elbow knocking the box of them to the floor. She only mildly ranted to the others about her day, and didn't even mention the conversation with the woman in the hall, if it could even be called that. Nia was pretty sure she just dumbly stood there.

It was after lunch that her day started to match her morning.

None, _none_ of her morning tests results proved to be consistent when she and Michaels ran them a second and third time. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.

It was evening when the captain came by the lab. Michaels had just been dismissed and the younger woman had eagerly fled the flustered Paladian.

At the moment the captain tapped on the entryway to announce his presence, Nia was engrossed in her work and was muttering to herself in Paladian.

"Dr. Sargent?" Kirk asked gently to avoid startling the scientist.

She jerked slightly anyways, clearly annoyed until she realized who was standing there. "Captain?"

"Do you have a moment? I have a matter I'd like to speak with you about."

She set down the PADD currently in her hands. "Yes, sir. I have the time."

"Now, I know you may not be totally familiar with human customs or even Starfleet rules," Suddenly the conversation was eerily similar to an earlier conversation "but it is important for personnel in relationships to file the proper documentation –"

Nia interrupted him. "Yes, captain, I am aware."

That surprised Kirk. If she was aware, then was she knowingly ignoring the directive? He decided to just ask the question.

"Then why hasn't the correct documentation been filed for your own relationship?"

Nia had no idea what in the world he was talking about. She stared at him baffled, until she asked "Captain, does this line of questioning have anything to do with the rumors I have heard circulating?" Oh dear, if he was asking if she had a relationship with the commander…

That was an odd way to put it. Kirk was confused and figured there must have been something lost in translation. "I suppose it does, though it isn't really a rumor when you tell Commander Spock who then tells me. And I believe Lieutenant Sulu knows what I'm talking about."

Instead of the reaction he was expecting, Nia's eyes grew impossibly large.

When she continued to stare at him, mouth parted in a small 'o', Kirk finally asked "I believe I was told his name was Matt?"

Her face took several seconds to change and when it did, all the blood drained from her face. Then, as fast as the blood drained it rose again turning her face a brilliant pink. It continued deepening until her face was almost magenta. She set her head in her arms and started to laugh.

Surprised, Kirk just stood there.

"Dr. Sargent?"

She finally lifted her head. "I'm sorry, sir. This day has been more than a little odd, and this – to put it in a human way – is the icing on the cake."

"Were you trying to keep the relationship a secret?"

She shook her head. "No sir."

It suddenly dawned on him. "Did you tell Commander Spock you were in a relationship?"

"I haven't spoken with Commander Spock in four days."

"That isn't an answer."

"No, I did not."

Kirk rocked back on his heels. "Are you in a relationship with someone named Matt?"

"No, I am not." Nia wasn't in a relationship with anybody and if it weren't for the fact she had a strong survival instinct, she might try to act out the sudden urge to throttle a certain _eavesdropping_ _Vulcan!_

"Is there a reason I should believe you over my first officer?"

Oh great, now Nia's inadvertently called the first officer a liar. A Vulcan too, someone who hads no logical reason to lie.

"Captain, seriously, I'm not lying to you. Nor am I saying that Commander Spock is lying to you. The fact of the matter is, I was having a private conversation with Crewman Michaels that was apparently _overheard_." She took a breath. "Now, sir, did the commander tell you I told him, or did you assume and he let you?"

Kirk thought back on the conversation and knew she had him. He looked her over. "You know him that well?"

She rolled her eyes, caught his surprise at the move, and nearly rolled her eyes again. "Sir, have you read my file?"

"Yes, you're a Paladian scientist and closely connected to many of the settlers we are sent to rescue – "

She cut him off. "How long have I lived on Earth?"

"Ok, so I didn't read the whole thing." He admitted.

"Thought so. I've lived on Earth for nine years. Five of which I was married to a human man. Prior to that my mother made of study of humans and Earth culture, along with other humanoid cultures." She informed him. She had one eyebrow raised in challenge.

Kirk shifted uncomfortably. He had definitely missed all of _that_. "So that dinner in the mess hall…?"

"Yes, I did allow you to make yourself look like an idiot." Her smirk was just a tad mischievous. "Actually Captain, I was planning on dragging it out, but after today I give. My brain is too fried to keep it up now." She let out a sigh and ran her hand over her once neat hair. Now, several locks hung down around her face while the rest was still pulled back.

"So, you had a bad day?" He sat down on a stool across from her.

"I had a woman come up to me and tell me to stop toying with the men on this ship since I was in a relationship with one of the crew."

The blonde man snorted then shook his head. Still chuckling, he said "I can see how that could make a day interesting."

"You don't know the half of it." She gestured to the supplies laid out on the table. "None of my research today is panning out. None of it. It is all producing contrary results and none of my experimental results are proving consistent."

"And your testing methods have been consistent?"

"Yes! I have all my steps written out and collect data at each step of the way, both written and audio format. The only thing consistent is my control."

He frowned. "So then the problem is with the samples you are testing? How many variables are you looking at?"

She almost glared at him. "Sir, I'm only testing one variable. To alter more than one would significantly skew the results."

He smirked at her. Pointing to the data screen behind her, he asked "Then why did you write that?"

She turned slowly and looked. On the data screen, she'd written the variables she was testing. Variables.

"Sh- Sugar!"

Kirk started laughing. Nia glared at him.

"I suppose Paladians aren't taught the scientific method?"

"Captain, I respectfully request that you can it."

"Hm, do you even know what that means?"

"Uh yeah, don't you?"

"Not really. It's an old human saying. Only a nonhuman would take the time to actually learn what it meant."

"Sir," Nia groaned. "I have a lot of work to redo."

He grinned. "So then you better get to it."

They both stared at each other.

"Are you going to help, or something else productive, or are you going to leave?"

"That was awfully close to an order. Aren't I the Captain?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You can't seriously expect me to answer that."

"This is true. So, you need help? I don't see an assistant anywhere." He looked around.

Nia blushed. "I dismissed Crewman Michaels. My day really didn't help my mood."

"Or your nose." There was that dang smirk again.

She gingerly touched the bandage he was referencing. Dr. McCoy had _requested_ she wear it for the day. "I fell."' He opened his mouth and she held up her hand to stop him. "Please don't make fun of me. My ego is already limping, no reason to kick it when it's down."

He could see the reasoning in that. "Alright, are you going to show this lowly captain how to help you with the testing, or are you going to kick me out?"

"Have you done anything like this before?" She asked suspiciously.

He shrugged. "Ever heard of the _Kobayashi Maru_?"

She snorted. "The unbeatable test? Yeah, I've heard of it."

"I hacked it."

"Good enough."

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this little interaction between Kirk and Nia. I certainly did.

Many, many, many thanks to **QHJumper, MaGiCaL MoOn, CrazyFoxyCookie, forestreject, **and **England101** for reviewing. I love your words of encouragement, so please keep them coming.

Thank you, also to everyone who has added this story to their favorites or alerts. That stands out to me too.


	12. Chapter 11

**Alright, here's my next installment. Many, many, many thanks to my beta TheWindowView for taking the time to edit my work and even tell me when I'm doing something wrong. **

**As always, please read and enjoy :) **

"So," he asked while still carefully watching the specimen on the slide for changes. "If you aren't in a relationship, what kind of conversation was it to make my first officer think you were?"

Nia paused as she worked out what he was asking. "I think I understand what you are asking." Blushing, she told him "Well, I have to admit to some foolery on Crewman Michaels' and my part. She had asked me about some rumors she heard and I told her that in reality I'd been more intimate with the sparring mats than with anyone on this ship."

Kirk stared at her. "'Matt' as in sparring mat, not as in human male Matt."

"Yep."

"That is," he waited a moment to try and find an appropriate term. He gave up. "That is the funniest thing I've heard since we started this trip."

She looked at him warily. "And yet, you aren't laughing."

"I'm waiting for the image to sink in. You know, the one of Spock crouching outside the doorway, listening to 'girl talk' about 'Matt'." He glanced at her. "Was there lots of giggling?"

"Why, oh why would you want to know that?"

"It'll perfect the image."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. To be true, I'm sure our voices were _breathy_ from trying to keep from laughing. Seems the only effective way to do so is to decrease one's air supply."

"Makes it harder to talk, too."

"Which is why we eventually gave in. Lieutenant Jenkins yelled at us since she could apparently hear us down the hall." She grinned sheepishly at him.

He chuckled. "So if I ever need some comedic relief, I should come to the labs?"

Nia stared at him in horror.

"What?" He asked.

She sputtered for a moment then told him "You do that, you get to deal with being the first person to try the patience of a Vulcan. He is the one I report to, you know."

"Is it supposed to do this?" Kirk asked and gestured to the microscope he was looking into.

"Do what?" She asked in return.

He gestured again at the microscope "This!"

Sighing, Nia brushed past him to look into the microscope. "Oh." She studied for a moment longer. "You started the recording, right?"

"Yes, I did." He watched her adjust the scope to refocus the image. "Now, what makes you think I haven't already tried the patience of a Vulcan?"

Nia stilled. She'd heard a few pieces of a story involving the Captain and the First Officer, but nothing close to the full story. Asking Chekov and Sulu about it had produced nothing other than a few side glances and the polite request for her to 'butt out'. Not their exact words, but that was the feeling she got. "So, is there truth to the scuttlebutt? Did you have a hand in emotionally compromising the Commander?"

The smirk he gave her was a bit darker than any of the others he had born previously. "Emotionally compromising? No. Getting him to admit it? Yes." And he was quite unprepared for the can of worms that opened. It had taken a week before the bruises started fade.

"That can't have gone over well." She knew enough of the time frame to have an idea as to what was on the commander's mind at the time. She'd touched him; she knew the grief the Vulcan felt.

"Not at all." He shrugged. It had to be done, and the end justified the means in this case. "Is the reaction within the parameters you were predicting?"

"You mean hoping dearly for?" She corrected. "No it isn't."

"One hypothesis rejected… How many more to go?" He entered the reaction into the data tablet sitting on the table and filed the video log of the reaction along with it. "How long have we been doing this?"

"As you well know, we've been doing this for two hours. We've rejected four hypotheses and have too many left to get done tonight." Nia sighed and again tucked back the white locks that were hanging in her face. Her hair had begun to come loose hours ago, but she hadn't bothered to rebind it. She really wished she'd caught her mistake sooner and had saved herself the trouble of repeating a day's worth of work.

"How vital is the work you are doing?" Kirk suddenly inquired. When she looked up at him confused, he explained "I mean, I've heard there is a situation with the food crops on Palad, but how vital are the food crops there? And how bad is the problem? I know Palad has placed an embargo on all food stuffs and even refused to aid the stranded Vulcans." He was biting his tongue as he made the last comment. He knew better than to treat a diplomatic situation so casually.

Nia just shook her head. "I don't understand why that happened. The situation on Palad is a significant problem, but not dire in the way that we would be unable to help those in need. At this point, the situation will be close to dire in fifty years if we cannot get the parasite under control."

"Then why are so many of your people leaving the planet? If it isn't _such_ a big problem then why is there a push for colonizing other planets?" Kirk wasn't sure if he believed her assessment of her planet's problems.

"Honestly, I'm baffled by the sudden increase in immigration. The government must have come up with some sort of incentive program. At this point, our crops are being affected. The specific crops that have been hit the hardest are the ones we use to feed our… cattle is the appropriate term, I believe." She chewed her lip. "See, when agriculture first started on Palad, it was to grow plants favored by the herbivores that my people eat. We have a heavier meat diet than what most humans expect. We eat the same number of carbs, but need a higher amount of saturated fats. Now, our seas have plenty of fish, but not enough to feed our growing population. There hasn't been enough since the start of our industry."

"When you had a population spike." Kirk surmised.

"Exactly, Kirk." She refused to call him 'Jim' like he requested. He settled for 'Kirk'. "Palad has a wide variety of plants, but we have such a cold climate that many aren't as edible for us, the humanoids on Palad."

"Well, who else?"

She smiled, but otherwise ignored his interruption. "We have a decent variety of fruit trees that grow in what you would call cooler temperatures and berry bushes as well. We have lots of herbs, and the south has much more edible vegetation. However, many of the Northern prairies have been turned to farms for the _daplos_, our cattle, or they are farms for feeding the daplos."

"Palad is mainly rainforest, right? Mostly temperate and some tropical?"

"That is correct. This makes it difficult for us find planets we can move to. When most of our year is close to winter, we have developed an insensitivity to cold and a-"

"Sensitivity to heat. What does that mean for the settlers who are stranded?" If she didn't know, then he was going to go straight to McCoy and ask him. Earlier that day, he'd been in contact with the _Exeter_ and gotten a full report on the planet the ship was headed to.

"It depends on the planet. If it is an ice planet, there should be little to worry about, beyond malnutrition and possible dehydration." Nia informed him, grey eyes watching his reaction carefully.

"They've been accepting water rations, and it is probably a good thing they have. The planet the settlers landed on is mostly desert. They appear to have found the only oasis in a hundred mile radius-"

She didn't hear much beyond 'desert'. Instead she tuned him out as she tried to work through the increasing weight of dread in her stomach. _You knew there was a chance, you knew!_ Yet, she hadn't stopped hoping.

Kirk noticed her far off expression, and realized "This is a worst-case scenario for you, isn't it?"

Nia turned away from him and leaned her back against a countertop. "How many casualties have been reported?"

Her question was the only answer he needed. Still, he answered hers. "The settlers have refused to say. What do we need to do to prepare for our arrival?"

"You'd be better off asking Dr. McCoy. He is quite skilled and will have in depth knowledge to the exact treatments that will be needed. There will likely be more than a few that have succumbed to heat madness." She could only hope that the number was low, that while in Wena's capable hands she was able to keep the most of them healthy. That the water rations were enough to fight it, to keep it at bay.

"Heat madness?"

"My people are sensitive to heat. Our brains don't handle excess heat too well." She told him. "We may have higher average internal temperatures than humans, but our environment is usually much colder. I had to be careful in my first years on Earth not to overexert myself until I knew the extent of my own heat sensitivity."

Kirk watched her, blue eyes taking in the deepened worry lines and the not quite human act of chewing on the back of her knuckles in worry. "I'm going to go speak with Bones. We can't be too prepared for what we might find." He went to walk past her, then paused and set a hand on her shoulder. "We are also close enough to justify an increase in warp speed. We'll get there within the week and we will help them however we can. I promise you that, Sargent."

Nia looked up at him, tears of relief welling slightly before she blinked them back. "Thank you," she told him. No matter what rumor she heard from then on about the captain being a womanizer, Nia was going to remember the character presented before her today, on this crazy and twisted day.

* * *

With the change in situation, it would not have been logical for Spock to inquire of the conversation the captain had with Dr. Sargent. Even without the change in situation, Spock had no logical reasoning for asking. And so, he didn't.

He waited for Kirk to come to him.

It took a very short period of time to discover that some information Spock would never need to inquire about, and would never have to find a logical reason to inquire of. Some information, Kirk simply could not keep to himself.

What he hadn't expected, however, was for the captain to bring the subject to attention while on the turbo lift, immediately after the captain informed the bridge just what to expect on the surface on the uncharted planet when they arrived. It was the morning after Kirk ordered an increase in warp speed.

"I had a discussion with Dr. Sargent." Kirk glanced at his first officer.

The man barely acknowledged his statement.

"You should speak to her."

This time the Vulcan glanced his direction.

Smirking, Kirk continued. "'Cause it turns out that I've met Matt. He a rather upstanding and… firm guy."

Spock accepted his statement and turned his attention to the opening doorway. It was only logical that Dr. Sargent would choose such a mate.

"Yeah, it turns out that Sulu really did introduce the two. Rather forcefully, if you believe the rumors." A lesser man might have given up after the apparent disinterest and apathy on the commander's face as the two walked down the hall. Kirk, however, was determined to push the Vulcan as far as he could. "Of course, now some of the women on the crew think Sargent's been playing with you the whole time she was in a relationship. One even went so far as to confront her."

"I find that when humans confront one another, the issue is rarely resolved. Is further trouble to be expected, sir?"

While the response wasn't quite what Kirk wanted, it was a start. And, he brought up a good point. "Probably not, though I can't rule out the possibility." He chewed his lip. He really hadn't thought about that, and was now wondering if he should have. He'd heard cat fights can cause problems and women were notoriously cruel when 'fighting'. Men typically brawled to save face and prove dominance. Women… women were just plain mean.

"Captain, you stated I should speak with Dr. Sargent, yet have not given me a reason why." Spock stated.

Again the smirk appeared. "Spock, have you heard what happens when you assume?"

"Captain?"

"Jim."

"I do not see how your first name describes the result of assumption, sir."

Kirk huffed in frustration. "Dammit Spock, that's not what I meant. I've asked you to call me Jim."

"And I agreed to do so when we are not on duty, as protocol dictates. Are we not still on duty?" Spock replied. Once again, a conversation with the captain was proving redundant.

"Right. Anyways, when you assume you make an ass out of you and me."

Spock thought for a moment, head tilted slightly to the side. "A human play on words based on both the spelling and phonetics of the word. Interesting, but are you attempting to imply that I have done such a thing?"

Finally, he gets it. "Yes, Mr. Spock, I am. I felt like a right ass when I asked Sargent about her relationship with 'Matt' and it turned out to be a joke between her and Crewman Michaels." Kirk stopped walking and stepped close to Spock when the commander also paused. "They were talking about the sparring mats."

Kirk would always swear that he saw the tips of Spock's ears turn green, but the reaction was so subtle and quick no passerby would have caught it.

"I see. Is this the reason I should speak to Dr. Sargent, or is there more?" Spock would always evade the subject, when asked if Kirk's claim was true. Embarrassment was illogical.

"Well, she's just learned just how much trouble the settlers are in. Close friends and family of hers are stuck in near un-survivable place, for at least a month now. What do you think?" Kirk near snapped.

"If you are implying I would be a source of comfort, I find your logic lacking. The only logical decision is to remedy the situation as soon as is possible." The commander spun form the captain and continued walking. "There is nothing more that can be done."

"Spock," Kirk grabbed the other man's arm. "She may not be human, but she isn't Vulcan either. Talk to her. Check her data, or help her with an experiment. Do something." Kirk told him. He knew he was pressing the limits of what his first officer would take from him.

"Captain-"

"Don't. Just trust me."

Spock nodded, a quick jerk of his chin. "Is that all, Captain? It appears I am needed in the labs."

"That's all, Mr. Spock."

* * *

A/N So what do you think? Maybe this isn't as dramtic as it could be, but I'm trying to keep Spock in character. He's harder to work with than I would like :/

Of course, I love hearing any and all opinions, and I just want to thank **cruscherccme, **and** QHJumper **for reviewing. Also, thank you to everyone who has added this story to their alerts or favorites. I have noticed :)


	13. Chapter 12

**Many, many thanks to my beta TheWindowView. She certainly knows how to keep me writing. And thanks to all who read this. I noticed I didn't get as many reviews for the last couple chapters. Were they not as good, or was there not enough 'Spockness'? If so, please feel free to critique. **

**Anyways, please read and enjoy! **

"Good morning, Commander." Nia said with as bright of a smile as she could manage.

Commander Spock paused in the doorways of her lab, not expecting her to hear his arrival. He also wasn't expecting to be able to see right through the expression on her face.

"Good morning, Dr. Sargent." He stepped inside the lab and glanced at the data tablets set out on the table in front of her. She had three.

Nia saw where he was looking, and her face fell. "I'm having some trouble with my experiments." She admitted. "Nothing serious." Just a major headache from repeating most of yesterday's work. Shaking her head, she looked back up at him. "Was there something you needed, Commander?"

"The captain briefed the bridge on the situation of Palad. I am here to offer assistance."

She stared at him. "What?"

"I said, I am –"

She cut him off. "No, I heard you. I'm just not sure I understand you, Commander. Assistance in what way?"

He simply stated "As is needed."

Alright then. Nia sighed, and scratched the side of her head absently. "Well, I made a mistake during yesterday's experiments and as a result need to retest most of them. The captain and I worked through some yesterday, but not all of them." She waved her hand at one of the PADDs in front of her. "This is the data from yesterday's first trials and I separated the second trials onto another PADD." She pointed to the middle PADD then finally lightly laid her fingers on the final PADD. "This one has all of last night's and today's data. Even though it's my third attempt, for these purposes it is the first trial for some of these experiments. I'll worry about repeatability later today when I run a second trial." She sighed again. "Running the experiments again is where I need the help the most, at this point."

He nodded and lifted the first PADD. She had marked which experiments she had run a second trial on and which she had repeated the first trial for. Noting which experiment she was working on, he began to help her set up in silence.

"Is Crewman Michaels not on duty?"

His sudden question startled her as they had been working in silence for a few minutes. "Oh, she's on duty. She's running a couple of the experiments in Jenkins' lab, with her equipment. The equipment can't be moved into here and there isn't a need for two of us over there, so we decided to split up."

He accepted her answer with "A logical decision."

Nia almost snorted. She'd left out the part where Michaels insisted on doing those experiments on her own and using Jenkins for help if needed. It was her way of making up for the previous day's tensions, by taking on that work herself. Nia couldn't deny that it was a huge help.

And the commander's presence was going to be an even greater help. She'd fleshed out the experiments fully, again, to prevent any additional mistakes, but the Vulcan might catch something she'd missed.

"I am sorry I need help with this." She pursed her lips as soon as the words escaped. Surely, he wouldn't understand what she was saying. Not even a human would.

"Why do you apologize? The ship does not solely consist of individuals, but of teams working towards a goal. To need help is not a shortcoming." He told her.

This time she did snort. "Yes, well I'm afraid my performance yesterday was not fitting for someone working for Starfleet. I've wasted time and resources to rectify a mistake that should not have been made in the first place, had I been following procedure." She very carefully set down the supplies in her hands. "I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and cloud my judgment. Not a typical occurrence for me, I assure you, sir. And so, I apologize." She finally looked at him, to see him staring at her. On a human it would be mild surprise. For a Vulcan, she concluded that it was likely more than mild surprise.

"Your apology, while not entirely necessary, is accepted," he paused, the slowly added "on the condition that you accept my apology." He watched her face for her change in expression, all the while still setting up the experiment.

It was her turned to be surprised. "Your apology? Whatever for?" Then the bulb lit in her head. "Oh, for the whole 'Matt' thing? Really, sir, it wasn't –"

"I overheard part of a conversation and made an assumption based on what I heard." He looked away. "Instead of confirming the information, I illogically passed the information on to other crewmembers." He seemed to take a breath before launching into further explanation. "While the authority of the captain is to be respected, there was no reason to impart the information in a public setting with both Dr. McCoy and Lieutenant Commander Scott present. Doing so enabled others to overhear and for the information to spread." He looked back at her. "For that I must apologize."

_So that's how that woman found out_, Nia thought as she recalled the woman that had stopped her in the hall. Another thought occurred to her, and Nia decided to step out on a limb.

"Commander, do you have a scheduled meal time?"

He found the question odd and incongruous with the conversation, but answered her anyways. "Neither the captain, nor I do. He prefers to have his meals with the majority of the bridge crew."

"And Dr. McCoy and Scotty, of course." She bit the inside of her cheek then asked "Do you prefer to eat with the crew?"

He realized where she was going with her line of questioning. "My preference is not based on the crew's presence."

She said what he left out "If I were in an established relationship with another crewmember, it would be considered poor form by many to continue eating lunch with me."

Finally, the next test was prepared and the two allowed the reaction to run without interference. Spock continued standing, placing his hands behind his back, while Nia leaned against the counter and crossed her arms in front of her.

"Apology accepted, Commander." His head dipped, again in acceptance of her answer, and Nia watched his face for any change of expression.

Nothing stood out, though his eyebrows may have relaxed some. She did notice that his shoulders seemed tense, or held tighter than they had been other times she had seen him. Nia couldn't help, but wonder why.

While the reaction continued, Nia looked at the male in front of her. Really looked. As Michaels questions from a few days before drifted through her head, Nia let herself like what she was looking at.

"Is there something about my appearance that justifies your scrutiny?" Spock noticed her steady gaze on his person, and the small smirk that had formed. While certain Paladian customs escaped him, this was one commonly seen amongst humans of opposite genders.

The look was fairly innocent, in comparison to some he'd witnessed, but that didn't stop her from blushing faintly after he'd spoken and 'caught' her looking.

"Commander, I assume you know of the other rumors circulating the ship? The ones of us?" She asked.

"You are meaning the rumors that we are in a relationship." He stated.

"Yes. How much do you want those rumors to stop?" Nia asked. She held her breath, hoping he read between the lines of her question.

In response, he unclasped his hands and stepped around the corner of the table so that he was no longer across from her, but almost beside her.

He answered her in a way only he could. "It would be illogical to allow rumors to dictate a change in our previous actions."

Nia grinned. "So you will sit with me at the midday meal?"

He paused before answering and her face fell. Thoughts of every possible scenario began entering her mind. First and foremost was the fact that he _didn't want her_.

"I believe there are two situations that should be brought to your attention, as is customary for humans in this situation."

She straightened up at his words and took a step closer to him.

"This situation?"

"You are proposing a relationship of romantic intentions, are you not?"

"I am." Her heart beat a little harder as she lifted a hand and waved it in a 'continue' gesture. "Please. What do I need to know?"

"You may not be aware, but it is customary for Vulcan children to have their mates chosen for them at a young age."

_Oh you've got to be kidding me, _Nia thought. _He's engaged. He's engaged and he's been eating lunch with me. That... That..._ She tried to keep the growing humiliation and anger at bay as she gestured again for him to continue.

"My chosen mate did not make it off Vulcan." While there was no love lost between Spock and T'Pring, her loss still pained him. It was still one more piece of home destroyed.

Nia felt awful. Here she'd been thinking rather rude things of him, when he was merely someone who went through something terrible. "I'm so sorry." She told him and sincerely felt.

"She had intended to oppose the marriage."

"Well, as a human would say, it still sucks." They were both quiet for a little while, an almost respectful silence for the dead. "You said there were two situations I should know of?" She finally asked, ready to change the subject.

He nodded. "You should also know that Lieutenant Uhura and myself were involved in a brief relationship."

She froze. That caught her by surprise and whatever expression had been on her face before was still there as she stared at him. _Say something! _She told herself and caught a reflection of herself out of the corner of her eye. _I look like the fish Papio caught on my ninth summer solstice. Preserved and ready to be hung on a wall. _

She opened her mouth. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "Um. When?" Nia berated herself for asking. She did _not _want to know details.

Spock obviously hadn't picked up on this when he continued. What he said wasn't as bad as she was expecting though. "During what is known as the '_Narada_ incident'. I was quite… emotional and mistook the utmost respect and admiration for one of my top students for a greater affection."

"Oh." She said, again.

"You are upset." He clasped his hands behind his back again. "I was uncertain of Paladian customs and decided following human customs may be acceptable as your husband was human."

"No, no!" She rushed to reassure him. "I'm not upset, I'm just surprised. And I'm glad you told me."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Clearly he didn't believe her.

"Uhura and I are friends. Not very close friends, but enough that it would have been a bad idea to let her tell me." Nia shook her head as she thought of that. It would have been a very bad idea.

The eyebrow lowered and he said "I see."

Nia wasn't so sure he did, but had heard somewhere Vulcans didn't lie.

The reaction had run its course by then and the two completed the remainder of the test. When the data was sufficiently documented, they began the set up for the next experiment.

"So, Commander. Let me ask again. Will you continue to sit with me at the midday meal?"

His answer was not what she hoped for.

* * *

At the evening meal, Chekov and Sulu joked a bit more than usual and Nia found herself grateful. During a lull in the conversation, Chekov even offered her a moment if she wished to talk about the situation with the settlers.

Nia was touched and had felt the smarting of tears, but seeing how uncomfortable the two males were, she only shook her head. She held back the chuckle she felt when the two relaxed in relief and continued cutting up.

Michaels, having seen her reaction, briefly touched her back and shared an odd look with Uhura.

It wasn't until after the meal that Nia figured out what it was for.

"Come on." Michaels said as she grabbed one of the Paladians arms.

Nia stared at her as the younger woman started to pull on her arm. "Where to?" She asked, grudgingly allowing her feet to move.

Looping an arm through Nia's remaining free arm, Uhura grinned at the now trapped woman. "We decided it was time for a 'Girl's Night'. We're meeting in your quarters."

Looking between the two women, Nia could see she had no choice in the matter. Nor did she want one. She'd missed out on the last few Girl's Nights on Earth and was glad to have the distraction.

She tugged her arm out of Michaels grasp, leaving the crewman frowning until Nia looped her arm through hers and began leading the way to her quarters. Both Uhura and Michaels were grinning and Nia felt a smile starting to spread on her own face.

"So who all are we meeting? And, are we going to have goodies? No Girl's Night is complete without them." Nia said, looking between the two women as they walked.

Michaels chuckled as Uhura answered her. "Lieutenant Jenkins and Nurse Chapel are joining us, and they are bringing the goodies. Someone let slip you have a fondness for marshmallows." Nia smirked. That had undoubtedly been Christine. "Fortunately we can replicate those." Uhura finished saying.

They arrived at Nia's quarters to find the others already waiting, and with no small amount of laughter the five women entered the living space. The night had begun.

At some point, pedicures were mentioned and the needed supplies drug out.

Nia had refused to remove her footwear and instead opted for a manicure.

Uhura shrugged. "I can't give myself a proper manicure without breaching Starfleet grooming regulations, but I can do whatever I want to my toes. Thank goodness for closed toe footwear."

Nia wholeheartedly agreed with her, but didn't say as much.

As it turned out, the other three women were in the same situation as Uhura. Christine, perhaps, had the worst of it.

"You ladies are only limited to keep in line with your uniform." She told them before displaying her shorter and polish free nails. "I have to keep my nails short and smooth for safety reasons."

Jenkins shuddered. "Sorry. I just imagined Dr. McCoy's reaction if you ever decided to go against _that _procedure."

Michaels snorted. "I don't know how you work with man. He's so mean!"

The nurse went to speak, but Nia's scoff cut her off. "Oh please, Emily." They'd agreed on first names only. "He's not that bad. Sure, he's got a terrible bedside manner, but he's a surgeon! What else can you expect?"

Uhura nodded in agreement, but Jenkins didn't like that. "You know, I think Emily and I are the only sane ones here."

"And why do you say that, Sarah?" Christine asked, eyes slightly narrowed.

"Not only do we have a healthy fear of McCoy, but we also are the only ones without delusions of the emotional capacity of Vulcans."

Nia stilled with a glass part way to her lips and risked a glance at both Christine and Uhura. Both were looking at her and Nia felt herself flush. She was not saying a word.

"So," Michaels broke the awkward silence. "What colors of nail polish have you got in that bag, Nyota?"

* * *

A/N I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it!

I will say that I am not entirely sure how the whole meals thing works in Starfleet, so I made a complete guess. I know the shifts work as four hours on and eight off, but I don't how it works otherwise. If I am wrong and it takes away from the story, please let me know via PM or review and i will do what I can to fix it. :)

Thank you, thank you to **forestreject,** and **QHJumper** for reviewing. Also, thank you to everyone who has added this story to their alerts and/or favorites. I'm glad you all like it enough to keep track of it! Hopefully the next chapter won't take too long to write.


	14. Chapter 13

**Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView. She's always great. **

**Sorry to all my readers for the longer wait than usual. I was travelling this past weekend and had an exam this week, so I didn't have much time to write. However, here is a new chapter before a week has past :) **

**Please, read and enjoy! All comments are welcomed! **

_"So," Michaels broke the awkward silence. "What colors of nail polish have you got in that bag, Nyota?" _

Uhura grinned and began unloading the bottle.

Turning to Nia, Jenkins asked "You sure you don't want a pedicure? It's all self given, but we've got all the needed equipment. The pumice stone, clippers, lotion, and the polish."

"Of which I have more." Christine announced as she pulled out her own bag.

Laughing Nia held up the bag the blond nurse pulled out. "How is the world did you girls manage to bring all this on board? Don't you have weight limits or something? And no I'm not subjecting you all to my stinky feet."

Michaels shook her head at Nia's question. "Please, nail polish is not considered contraband. And, hello, the foot bath is great for taking care of stinky feet."

"Actually, I don't think that's it." Christine said.

"What do you mean?" Michaels asked, as Nia gave Christine a very wary look.

"I mean when Nia is very particular about her feet. Always." Christine gave Nia a pointed look.

Nia blushed. "Oh come on, you're exaggerating."

Christine rolled her eyes. "Right. That's why you had McCoy kick me out when he was treating your broken foot."

"You broke your foot?" Uhura asked.

"You mean you haven't heard about that yet? I thought for sure Lieutenant Sulu or Ensign Chekov would have told you." Jenkins said, much to Nia's chagrin.

The Paladian in question was slowly turning a brilliant pink. "Why is that even important?" She asked, but no one answered her.

"So what happened?" Uhura asked.

"I haven't heard the full story either." Michaels piped up.

"Well," Jenkins began. "I heard someone challenged a certain Ensign to a weight lifting competition and then that someone dropped the weights."

"On my foot." Nia finished. "Which hurt like heck, but not as bad as embarrassing myself in front of Commander Spock the next day."

"Oh I have to hear this." Michaels said. "What happened?"

"Well, it was the day after I broke my foot, and the commander came by my quarters in the morning to inform me that Starfleet had authorized me to work in the labs on the ship." Nia said, relieved the girls seemed to be interested in the story.

"Wait, this was when you first showed up in the labs, right?" Jenkins asked.

"Yes, Sarah, it was." Nia said. "Do you know this story?"

Jenkins smiled slowly until she had a face reminiscent to the Cheshire cat. "Oh I saw this story."

Thinking back to the incident, Nia tried to remember if she had seen the smaller brunette in the area. Nia hadn't seen her, hadn't seen any females, in fact. "How..?"

The smile got impossibly wider. "The security feed for the lab entrance."

"Oh no." was all Nia could say as the women around her started asking Jenkins if she could pull up the feed.

"No, no." Jenkins said. "I only saw it because we were having issues with the feed and Lieutenant Commander Scott was using only recordings to double check it once he fixed it." She looked at Nia as she pulled a nail file out of the bag in front of her. "That was why I was in Engineering that one day."

Nia nodded as understanding hit her, and then groaned. "So, no chance of that getting deleted, is there?"

"Probably not." Jenkins said.

"Now wait a sec." Christine began. "We still haven't been told what happened."  
"Have you been down to the labs? You either, Nyota?" Both women nodded. "Then everyone knows there are a few short steps with a handrail in the middle." Nia took a breath. "Well, the commander and I were speaking, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and next thing I knew I was straddling the handrail thanking the fact I'm not a male."

The other women roared as she told them this.

"Oh my gosh, how did the commander react?" Uhura asked.

"Oh he was the perfect gentleman, and nearly insisted on escorting me to the med bay." Nia said, giggling. "I was equally insistent to not go though."

"Not after showing up twice the previous day." Christine added.

"Didn't it hurt though? Even if you aren't male, there is bone and tender tissue there." Michaels asked.

"It was worse than dropping those weights on my foot." Nia told her. "Especially with the embarrassment factor."

"In front of the commander, too. That had to be really awful." Jenkins said.

The room fell quiet as the women looked at each other, all unsure what to say. Finally, Jenkins broke the silence.

"Alright, lets finally address the elephant in the room, other than the fact you are hiding your feet." Jenkins said with a pointed look at Nia.

Nia shrugged. "I have no idea what you are talking about." She tried to innocently say.

"Sure." Michaels said. "So who did you have lunch with today?"

Christine spoke up. "Me. She had lunch with me. Why is that so important?"

Michaels shoulders slumped, and Nia allowed herself a small smirk.

As the other women went about discussing the best colors of polish and such, Nia found her thoughts drifting.

It was only that morning that her lunch plans had been discussed, briefly mulled over, and a conclusion reached. This day she ate with Christine, or else she would have eaten alone.

Tomorrow, however would be a little different.

_"So, Commander. Let me ask again. Will you continue to sit with me at the midday meal?"_

_ His answer was not what she hoped for. _

_ "I have a prior arrangement with the captain for tomorrow. I will not be able to sit with you." _

_ "But the days after?"_

"What are you thinking about, that's got you smiling?" Michaels asked, pulling Nia from her reverie.

"Oh nothing much." Nia leaned forward. "Alright, what color is going to clash the least with my skin tone? And if any one says white, I'll make you eat a pillow."

Laughing the other women made several suggestions.

"Well this bright blue is lovely and goes well." Uhura suggested. She was right and Nia placed it in the option pile.

"Or you could match your blood and go for the hot pink." Christine stated and handed her a bottle.

Nia chuckled. "That wasn't morbid at all."

"You have pink blood?" Michaels asked.

Jenkins looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "You work in the science department and you don't know that?"

"It never came up!" Michaels defended.

Jenkins just rolled her eyes.

Nia answered the poor woman. "Yes I have pink blood. You have hemoglobin running through your veins, I have coboglobin."

"Coboglobin?" Michaels looked confused.

"It means she has cobalt based blood, instead of iron. Not unlike Vulcans, who have copper based blood." Christine filled in for her.

"Like in arthropods?" Michaels asked. She finally selected a wine red for her toe nails.

Jenkins shook her head. "You're talking about hemocyanin. Vulcans use something different that is more efficient than hemocyanin." Jenkins settled on a navy blue color that glimmered.

"Oh." Michaels shrugged and opened the bottle of nail polish to get to work on her toes.

Nia smiled and went with Uhura's suggestion of the bright blue, Christine chose her own suggestion. Uhura was still deciding.

As the dark skinned woman continued lining up the bottles on the small table, one caught Nia's eye even as she was painting her finger nails. It was a subtle, sea foam green and a color she'd seen before. It was common enough on her home planet, in the form of a moss that grew in the tops of the trees. It always grew the most just after a heavy rain, and some Paladians began harvesting it to make mats and floor covering out of it. That idea didn't pan out, as the moss doesn't survive close to the forest floor, whether it be because of too little sunlight or rain.

The similarity to the moss itself wasn't the reason why the color caught her eye. While Nia enjoyed the moss and had used it as a pillow when relaxing during a climb, it wasn't what her mind dwelled on.

Instead, her mind dwelled on the fact it was the same shade of green that caused her distraction the day she walked into the handrail. It was the same shade that appeared to lurk beneath a certain commander's skin, just barely coloring his skin tone.

Maybe she could borrow the little bottle and paint her toes after the girls left.

Almost finished with her finger nails, Nia tuned in to the discussion Jenkins and Christine were having.

* * *

Move for move, the two were nearly matched in skill. The game had begun over an hour previous. A quick match never happened between the two, not with both fully focused.

Or mostly focused.

"Bones said we should be able to handle whatever situation we find when we reach the settlers." Kirk said, carefully placing his bishop.

Spock pondered the board for a moment then carefully countered the move. "Did you expect for Dr. McCoy to be unprepared?"

Kirk shrugged. "No, but I didn't expect the level of preparedness he's at. Now I understand the request for the crates of lard bars." He shuddered at the thought of eating one of those.

"Only high fat and calorie rations will be sufficient enough to compensate for the body mass lost due to the Paladians' high metabolism." Spock informed him.

Sighing, Kirk said "That is almost exactly what Bones said." Kirk made his move then glanced up at his first officer. "Do think Sargent is prepared for whatever we find?"

Spock hesitated briefly before speaking. "She is fearful of the conditions her people will be in."

"Anyone would be. Are her emotions clouding her judgment?"

"She has been able to maintain a stable work ethic."

"So that's a no?"

If he were human, Spock would have sighed. "Her judgment has only been tested on board and has proved to be unaffected. However, our arrival to the planet and the discovery of the full extent of the conditions of the settlers may change that fact."

"Right." Kirk said. He frowned. "Spock, I want one of us on the away team when we get to the planet."

"I expected nothing less, Jim."

Kirk nodded. He supposed he hadn't really needed to say it for his first officer's sake, but said it for his own. In fact, he intended to be the one on the away team. Particularly if Sargent was going to react adversely, Kirk didn't want Spock placed in such a position.

Speaking of which… "Spock, did you get the chance to speak with Sargent?"

"I spoke with her at length, Jim."

Kirk knew_, just knew_ the Vulcan was enjoying the oh-so subtle pointing out of the lack of specificity of his questions. "What did you speak with her about?"

The corner of Spock's mouth twitched at the captain's irritation.

Kirk caught the twitch and narrowed his eyes at the minute smirk. Oh yeah. The Vulcan enjoyed it.

"I spent most of the time aiding Dr. Sargent in her experiments."

"Ah yes. Did she finish rerunning the ones that she'd run the wrong variables on?" Kirk asked.

Spock nodded. "Indeed she did. We completed those and had started on the seconds trials by the midday meal." He moved his rook and then said "I also apologized for my previous assumption pertaining to the individual named 'Matt'."

"Who was actually a sparring mat." He chuckled. "That one is never getting old." Kirk counter moved. "So, she accepted your apology?"

"Indeed, she did." Spock considered the board for a moment.

"Did you discuss anything else?" Kirk looked at Spock pointedly.

"Indeed, we did."

_"So, Commander. Let me ask again. Will you continue to sit with me at the midday meal?"_

_ His answer was not what she hoped for. _

_ "I have a prior arrangement with the captain for tomorrow. I will not be able to sit with you." _

_ "But the days after?"_

_ "The days after… I will sit with you until you desire otherwise, whenever circumstances permit."_

Kirk grinned. "So, will appropriate documentation be submitted?"

"Yes, Jim. It will." He completed his move.

Kirk's grin grew until he scanned the board and frowned. Then he looked over it more carefully. Eventually, he sighed and knocked over his king. "I concede."

"A logical choice."

* * *

An hour after the girls left, Nia held the small bottle of green polish in her hand. She shook her head and settled back against the couch.

Carefully, she pulled off her shoes. They were laced and lightweight, but still sturdy. These shoes were her favorite work shoes, and had been specially modified for her Paladian needs.

There weren't many Paladians good at walking on completely level ground, at least not with shoes on.

After dropping the shoes to the floor, she slowly peeled her socks of and flexed her feet.

Like her fingers, her toes were built for climbing. The digits were longer than human toes and the calluses not limited to the pads of her toes, but extending all the way to the ball of her foot.

The odd length of her toes didn't bother her and wasn't what prevented her from showing the others her feet. The girls were right though, she had been hiding her feet.

Nia started painting her nails, starting with the one long pinkie toe. She continued, until she reached her big toe.

Except she didn't have a big toe. The joint was rotated and lower on the foot. The toe was more delicate than a human's big toe.

Instead of a big toe, the Paladian had an opposable thumb. From experience, Nia knew better than to show off her 'monkey feet'.

She hummed quietly as she finished painting her nails. Girl's Night had been a great idea. The next day might be a different story, but at that moment she felt very relaxed. Tomorrow was most likely the last day before the ship arrived at the planet.

Nia found herself anxious at the thought of, but also, looking forward to lunch.

* * *

A/N: Ok, ok I know there hasn't been much Nia/Spock in these last couple chapters, but I promise it is coming!

Thank you for my reviewers, **crusherccme **and **QHJumper**. Thank you for your support and for the honest opinions.

Thank you to those who have added this story to their alerts and/or favorites. I'm glad you are enjoying this :)


	15. Chapter 14

**Thank you to my lovely beta, TheWindowView. She is amazing and always catches those annoying little mistakes that escape me in the wee hours of the morning. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It is the true start to the adventure/mystery of this story. **

**Any comments are welcome. Read and enjoy :) **

As soon as she'd heard the announcement, Nia felt the need to run down the halls to the transporter room. As it was she walked quickly and with long strides.

She didn't make it to the transporter room though. First she was intercepted by Uhura.

"Come on." The other woman said, grabbing Nia by the arm. "We need to change. Do you have any light colored, long pants?"

Nia nodded. "You need to put those on. The planet is hot with sand dunes we might have to deal with. A cool shirt would be a good idea too."

"And you?" Nia asked. "You are going down to the planet too? Right?" She glanced down at Uhura's uniform. The short skirt was not going to cut it.

Uhura grinned. "Don't worry I have uniform pants issued for these kinds of conditions."

Nia nodded and followed Uhura's guidance to her quarters. Yesterday, Nia had spent the day in a peace that only comes before the storm. Her experiments had flowed smoothly, mostly confirming information she'd already suspected and after the midday meal, she'd spent the remainder of her time in the lab researching and reviewing the information available in the Starfleet data base.

The midday meal had been interesting, if there was any word for it. Nia had not known what to expect, but falling into the same routine as previous was something Nia felt she should have expected. Well, it was mostly the same routine. Just after the Paladian had sat down across from the Vulcan, he'd handed her a PADD.

On the screen, she saw an official document.

It should not have warmed her heart so much to be presented with the official aspect of their relationship, but it did.

He noticed too, the smile as she used the stylus to sign it and handed the PADD back to him.

"This pleases you." He stated.

"It does." She confirmed, even though it really wasn't a question.

"Why?"

She was surprised she asked, but then she supposed that she really shouldn't be. "You won't find it logical." She warned him.

"But it is logical to know why it pleases you." He smoothly countered.

She nodded. That part did make sense. "This document is a confirmation. It will be on record and –" She paused, uncertain how else to put it. "It's real."

Spock watched her as she spoke "Did you doubt my intentions?"

Nia's eyes grew wide. "No, it was not like that." Sighing, she tugged a hand roughly through her hair. "As a female, I am more vulnerable than the males of my species. As such, I have a need to feel secure. By submitting the proper documentation to notify the captain of an inter-personnel relationship, I feel secure."

He thought over what she said. "Despite there being no doubt, the evidence of my intentions is a comfort?"

She nodded. "It is one thing to know a truth. Another to be _shown_ a truth."

"Fascinating."

She had almost asked what was so fascinating, but decided not to keep him from his meal. He was too polite to continue eating while speaking.

The midday meal had been the most eventful part of the day and even the next morning.

Until they arrived, that is.

Now, nerves twisted her stomach as she pulled her harsh weather pants on. Her hands had a fine tremor, but when she clenched them into fists her hands were steady. She waited for the knock on the door to let her know that Uhura had returned and the two headed down to the transporter room.

McCoy was waiting for them, for Nia in specific, with supplies ready in bags and in his hands.

As soon as the women appeared in the doorway, the doctor tossed the scientist a tub of white cream. "Put that on." He told her. "Its sunscreen specifically designed for Paladians. The radiation on the planet shouldn't be dangerous, but that's no reason to not take the precaution."

Nia nodded numbly and began rubbing the cream on the exposed surfaces of her arms, starting with her hands and working up to her shoulders. While she did so, she looked around the transporter room.

It was going to be a full away team. Kirk and a couple security officers were already prepared and standing on the transporter pad. Uhura joined them shortly, and Nia caught Spock out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her. The shift of his gaze to a spot just behind her shoulder was the only warning Nia had before the sharp pinch and hiss of the hyposray McCoy injected into her neck.

She jerked, but didn't protest. "What was that?"

"It'll keep you from going mad. It's not a failsafe, but it'll do." McCoy said. "I'm sure you've heard of it."

"I've even used it before." She told him. And she had. She'd needed to when first arriving on Earth, as a safety precaution.

A heavy pack was lifted on to her shoulders. Nia squeaked as she scrambled to get the straps arranged comfortably while trying to adjust to the weight. Suddenly, the weight lifted and Nia glanced behind her to see the commander standing behind her, lifting the pack just enough for her to be able to quickly adjust the straps.

Once she was situated, he gently settled the pack's weight on her shoulder.

She nodded her thanks to him then turned to McCoy. "Alright, what have you put in here? Bricks?"

McCoy rolled his eyes. "It's water. You'll need at least three times the ration for a human in this environment."

Nia frowned and tested the weight on her shoulders. "This isn't only three time the ration."

Glowering, McCoy told her "I said you'll need at least that much. Not that you will need that much."

"Let me guess, you packed as much as you could into this thing?"

He smirked.

A voice from behind her spoke up. "Is water the only ration packed?"

McCoy glared at the Vulcan. "_No_ it isn't the only ration packed. She's also got a hand full of lard bars in there."

Nia's eyebrows rose. "Wow, you guys are prepared."

McCoy nodded, grabbed his own pack in addition to medical pack and joined the others on the transporter pad.

The remaining spot was clearly hers. Sighing quietly, Nia smiled to the man behind her briefly before stepping up into position. She met Kirk's eyes, and he nodded to her as Uhura briefly grasped her hand.

Kirk turned to Spock. "Mr. Spock, keep a watch on our vitals. If anyone seems to be reacting adversely, beam them up immediately."

"Certainly, Captain." Spock told him.

"Alright, Scotty. Beam us down."

Nia watched as her vision flared with light before it was replaced by a yellow light that was just as bright and a choking heat hit her chest hard.

"Oh." She wheezed before bending at the waist to try and suck in air against the sudden tightness in her chest. The air was so incredibly dry that she immediately felt the moisture in her mouth evaporating.

When she finally got her breath back, she noticed the others were watching her carefully and McCoy was hovering near her shoulder, face tight.

Great. Not even three seconds on the planet and she's making them regret bringing her along. She took another dusty breath and shook her head. _How are the settlers surviving?_ She thought. _How are you doing it, Wena?_

She straightened up, nodded to the others that she was ready and they were on the move.

As they walked, Nia grew increasingly miserable. It took less than twenty minutes for her shirt to stick to her skin and her pants to start hanging heavily on her hips. It took even less time for her to crack open the first water container.

She almost waited longer, except McCoy encouraged her to start drinking as soon as possible.

"Better to replace what you are losing now, and at a steady pace then trying to replenish it all at once." He'd told her, voice deceptively gruff.

She listened to him, finding a convenient logic in his reasoning. The first sip had quickly turned into a gulp and slid down her throat like silk.

They'd beamed down a short distance from the camp as requested by Wena, but had not anticipated the difficulty of navigating the sand dunes.

It took a near twenty five minutes to walk the short distance to the oasis where the settlers' camp was set up.

As they drew closure, Nia's spirits stirred. There was something to be said for a Paladian approaching a large gathering of Paladians. Sometimes, it came with a peace. Sometimes, it came with laughter and exhalation. Sometimes, it was just a gentle knowing. When loved ones were a part of the group, Paladians arriving described the feeling as 'coming home'.

This time, the 'coming home' feeling was tainted. Trouble stirred inside her along with it. Her anxiety grew.

Portable buildings had been set up, the only clear shield from the sun beyond the sparse trees only growing in the immediate area.

"Thought this was supposed to be an oasis." One of the Security officers muttered.

"Technically, it is." Kirk told him. "See the trees? They are only growing in this area. Means the water is the closest to the surface here."

Relief pricked at Nia as Uhura glanced at her. Maybe the settlers had an access to it. It would have been the only way for them to survive. _Why did it take so long to get here?_

Walking past the first few buildings, Nia was surprised at the size of the set up on the oasis. Almost one hundred were stranded on the planet and they had been busy maintaining their survival. Hope began to rival Nia's fear in earnest.

As they approached the central building, a loud wail was heard from inside and a man staggered out. He was clutching his head and pulling on his dark silver hair.

"Jacek." Nia said, shocked to see him in such shape. "Jacek!" She called, overcoming her shock.

He looked up at them, frowning. He straightened and Kirk realized just how tall the man was. The captain was surprised by how clumsily the man walked as he headed their way, determination clearly etched on his face.

Uhura, desiring to use the opportunity to practice her Paladian skills, stepped forward. She said the standard introduction as Jacek approached, but was stopped when she moved to step closer.

It was then Kirk noticed the tenseness of Nia's body. "Jacek," She said carefully. "_What happened?" _

"_Grego is dead."_

Nia closed her eyes sharply against the pain blooming in her chest. Uhura saw the look on her face and tried to give her condolences.

The roar that cut her off was Nia's only warning before the man surged toward the xenolinguist.

"Jacek, no!" Nia screamed as she leaped forward, knocking Uhura down in time to be caught by the raging man instead.

The two tumbled across the sand as the security officers aimed their phasers at them. Set to stun, the phaser fire would not harm either, but scuffling pair were moving too much to get a good shot.

Kirk was baffled. Sargent would have said something if the man was a danger, right?

As quick as the two were tossed to the ground, Sargent was up and running with the man following close on her heels. Kirk, McCoy, and the security officers quickly followed them and Uhura was left to pull herself up out of the sand. McCoy had prepared a hypospray, most likely with a sedative to use when he got the chance. Kirk had no plan, he just knew he couldn't lose Spock's girlfriend as she took off across the sand.

She was screaming something, at someone, but Kirk couldn't be sure what or to who she was yelling. Damn, he didn't know she could run that fast. He'd thought she was supposed to be clumsy. He supposed when one has a mad Paladian chasing oneself, there's plenty of inspiration for grace.

In the end, Nia had just circled the central building that Jacek emerged from in the hopes that someone inside could help.

McCoy caught on to this and attempted to intercept the mad Paladian, but instead was knocked to the side like a large toy.

Nia shouted something and suddenly leapt _at_ Jacek, yelling and waving her arms as if to attract his attention.

Kirk was lost as to what in the world was going on. Sargent was yelling and behaving as if the other man were an animal to be tamed, McCoy was pulling himself from the dirt and Uhura was heading their direction.

He figured out what was happening though, when Nia and Bones both surged forward to grab an arm each of Jacek's.

Out of the building another figure joined the group. A woman with a head of dark curls sprung onto the back of the madman and injected a hypospray into his neck. Whatever it contained, the man uttered a low moan and sprawled on the sand.

The unknown woman climbed off the man and ran a hand through the mess of curls. She spotted Nia, grabbed her arm and hauled her up.

The two woman didn't even pause until they were embracing, gripping the other as if they were a lifeline.

"Wena, oh my dear sister," Nia could be heard saying. "I'm here. Help is here. We're going to fix this."

The other woman just started crying in response.

Wena. Kirk heard the name and took a moment to put two and two together. This was Wena Verde, the half human and half Paladian doctor that assumed the leadership of the Paladians.

He carefully stepped forward as the two women pulled apart.

Nia looked at her friend and saw the deep circles under the woman's normally lively green eyes. "Wena," She suddenly wasn't sure what to say. "We've got to get you out of here. All of you."

Her friend's shoulders tensed under her hands. "Tell me something I don't know." The female doctor broke away from her scientist friend to check over the man in the dirt.

McCoy already beat her to it, but Wena checked over him anyway.

"What'd you give him?"

Her eyes snapped up to the blue ones of the man crouched across from her. He was staring down at the man laying prone between them.

"A horse tranquilizer." She told him. When he looked up with a scowl, she continued. "It works quickly enough on Paladians and gets burned out of their system pretty fast. So we should probably get him out of the sun or he might go crazy on us again."

The men stepped forward quickly, only to be waved back by Nia and Wena.

"Don't worry about it." Wena told them. "Even Paladian females are stronger than human males. We've got him."

They hauled the limp man up by his armpits and jammed a shoulder under each of his to drag him across the sand and into the building both Paladians had appeared from.

As the group of humans followed, Bones asked Kirk "That happen how you expected it?"

Kirk shook his head. "I don't know what I expected, but that sure as hell wasn't it."

* * *

A/N: So they have finally reached the settlers...

Thank you to **crusherccme** for reviewing. Thank you to those of you who have added this story to your alerts and/or favorites :)


	16. Chapter 15

**Many, many thanks to my awesome beta TheWindowView. **

**Some of you had questions about Jacek and Grego. I hope this chapter clears it up. **

**As always, please read and enjoy! All comments are welcome :) **

Inside the shelter the air was cooler by about ten degrees, but was still as dry as outside. The lighting was poor and ventilation was nonexistent.

Still, it took very little time to discover why this was the larger shelter. Just under two dozen beds were lined up in the central area, meager monitors and other supplies set up around the occupants. Not all the beds were filled, but at least three quarters were. A few Paladian medical staff walked between the beds, working on different tasks.

The two women hauled their charge up onto a bed and Wena took the time to put restraints on the man's arms. McCoy stepped up to the dark haired woman and the pair began discussing the situation in earnest.

Kirk stood nearby and Sargent made drifted over to him.

"I'm guessing you know him?" Kirk asked, lifting a hand in mad man's direction.

Nia nodded. "Jacek, my cousin."

He glanced at her in surprise.

She caught it and smiled grimly. "He's not usually like that. It was what we call 'heat madness'." Idly, she rubbed her side where her cousin had caught her in a tackle. "Some have hallucinations, visual and audible. Others lose all sense of time, place, and familiarity with loved ones."

"And some get violent." Kirk surmised as he looked back at the man restrained to the bed.

"No." Nia said.

Kirk merely raised his eyebrows as he looked back at her. "No?" he asked.

"No." She said. "_All_ get violent. Some are fortunate enough to collapse before much damage is done. Others –"she paused, not really wanting to admit to this side of her people. "Others have killed."

Swallowing shallowly at the thought of the hundred potentially violent Paladian settlers on his ship, Kirk asked "Is there a cure? Can those afflicted recover?"

Nia sighed. "There is no cure in the truest injection McCoy gave me helps as a preventative measure. A cooler environment, with plenty of food and water for both drinking and bathing can greatly reduce the effects. The madness results from an essential hormone for our brains being denatured in our bodies. Humans get heat stroke, Paladians get heat madness."

The two doctors finished tending to Jacek and approached the group.

As they did so, Nia caught sight of the patient in the bed immediately next to Jacek.

"Grego." She breathed. "Jacek believes him to be dead."

Wena heard her and followed her gaze. "Jacek and his brother have been fighting the madness. Jacek was doing fairly well, but Grego took a turn for the worse. He flat lined and Jacek lost it and ran out of here while I continued working on him." Wena met her friend's gaze. "We almost lost him."

Nia shuddered. Grego was the quieter of the two siblings and had a very powerful personality. Without him, there would have been many times when Jacek would have strayed into trouble.

As it were, he only strayed a _few_ times.

Turning to the captain, Wena eyed the man. "And you are?" She asked.

Slightly taken aback by the blatant suspicion on the woman's face, Kirk stood up straighter. "James Kirk, Captain of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. I assume you are Doctor Wena Verde?"

Wena nodded. "You assume correctly. So, are you here to rescue us?"

Nia was appalled. "Wena!" She chided her "_How can you think otherwise?_"

Her friend eyed the captain warily, before answering with a question of her own. "_Do you trust them?" _

_ "What?" _

_ "I asked, do you trust them?" _

Nia stared at her friend then forced herself to take a step back from the situation. Something wasn't right and Wena needed the reassurance that Nia could provide. Humoring her friend, Nia looked long at each individual, taking extra time on the faces of Kirk, Uhura, and McCoy.

As she did so, Kirk cast a look at Uhura, who nodded in response. Whatever the Paladians were saying, Uhura was following the conversation and would report her findings later.

Finished with her scrutiny, Nia turned back to Wena. Grey eyes met green without hesitation. "I do." She told her, her use of Standard reinforcing the sentiment.

Wena met her gaze unflinchingly and seemed to accept her friend's judgment without reservation.

Kirk was surprised by the noticeable change that overcame the woman, the sudden dropping of her shoulders and the open expression on her face. She turned back to Kirk and held out her hand. Surprised, he shook it.

"I apologize, but things have been rough here. Yes, I am Doctor Verde." She gestured behind her. "As you can see, we are rather desperate for some help."

McCoy stepped forward. "Name's McCoy. I'm the Chief Medical Officer on board the _Enterprise_." He scanned the room and then looked back at Kirk. His intentions were obvious.

Kirk nodded. "Go ahead, Bones." The two doctors began examining patients before the captain had even finished speaking.

It took time for the Wena and McCoy to make their way to all the patients and for McCoy to do what he could for each one. Admittedly, what he could was much more beneficial than anything Wena had been able to manage.

Once all in the make shift medbay had been seen, Wena asked "When can we start transporting the people to your ship?"

"At any time. We'll start here and get all the sick transported into the medbay." Kirk paused for a moment. "How many settlers are here?"

Wena went still. She opened her mouth to answer the question, but found herself unwilling to expose her failure, her inability to keep everyone alive. She found herself unable to continue looking any of them in the face. She was such a fool.

Nia seemed to sense this and reached out to touch her friend's arm, only to be startled when the woman jerked her arm away.

Heat flared in Wena's face, and Kirk noticed how red the blush was in comparison to the pink that often tinted Sargent's cheeks. The female doctor was saved from answering the question or from explaining her actions when another voice spoke up from behind her.

"There are fifty three survivors."

The answer hit everyone who heard it, even as the speaker was scrutinized.

Nia blinked hard against the sudden tears in her eyes. She'd been warned, by the captain, by Dr. McCoy and even by Spock. She just hadn't wanted to believe the true scope of the casualties suffered by the group of survivors.

There had been eighty seven settlers originally.

Thirty four. Thirty four lives were lost.

So great was her shock that Nia had barely registered the face of the speaker. Not until Kirk asked for the man's name, did she truly take notice.

"Mig." She and the man said at the same time.

The man nodded to Nia. "It's been a long time, Nia."

Her lips twitched into a faint smile. "Yeah Mig, it has. Your hair is longer than it was at the institute." She turned to Kirk. "As you've heard, this is Mig. He was a classmate of mine at my educational institute." She turned back to Mig. "You are a medical technician now, right?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Trying to smile again, Nia said "Your mother must be proud."

She inwardly cursed her words when pain flared behind the man's eyes. "She was." Mig looked at the captain. "Captain, I couldn't help but hear that you are planning to begin transport of the patients."

Kirk studied him for a moment more and then nodded. "Yes we are." He looked over the three medical professionals standing in front of him. "What needs to be done so that we can start doing so?"

There were exactly nineteen bedridden patients to be transported. McCoy grumbled about having a full medbay and cursed the conditions the settlers were in multiple times.

Nia watched Wena take each comment like a blow, and saw the visible relief when the man finally beamed up to the _Enterprise_ with the first few patients.

A few nurses were beamed down and in less time than expected the rest of the patients were prepared for transport.

While the medical staff was working, Nia, Mig, and Uhura went outside to speak with the healthier settlers.

So, so many were exhausted and worn down by their conditions, and quite a few treated Nia and Uhura with suspicion. Uhura's Starfleet uniform seemed to be the biggest deterrent since several Paladians recognized Nia, but there was nothing that could be done about it. A few young mothers were overjoyed though, one nearly flinging herself at Uhura in an effort to thank her.

Nia gained a surprise at one of the last enclosures the trio visited. When she stepped past the opening, a woman with a rounded stomach stepped forward.

"Layla!" Nia gasped.

Both she and the pregnant woman reached out to embrace each other. A Paladian male appeared from a sectioned off portion of the shelter. Nia squealed "Nethi!" and wrapped her arms around his neck too.

The couple shared a look as Nia stepped back. It was a look of hope re-found.

In shock, Nia asked the first thing that popped into her head "_When did you get married_?"

Layla shrugged. "_A near four months ago. We conceived days after._" She delicately ran a hand over her abdomen. "You are here to help us, yes?" She asked in Standard.

It was then Nia noticed the wary look both gave to Uhura. "Yes, we are." Nia motioned for Uhura to step forward, and the dark skinned woman did so. "This is Lieutenant Uhura. She is a part of the crew of the _Enterprise,_ the ship that has come as support for the _Exeter._" Nia told them.

Uhura smiled and promptly gave a traditional Paladian greeting, her hand lightly touching her collarbone as she did so.

The couple seemed to relax when faced with Uhura's earnest smile. Many of the Paladians they came across had responded equally well to the linguist's gesture, and Nia was eternally grateful for the woman's foresight and expertise in Paladian customs.

Mig stepped forward. "_A transporter is being used for those in the most need of medical attention. Everyone else who is able will aid with the readying of supplies and equipment for shuttle transport._" He then directly addressed Layla. "_Due to your condition you will be transported onto the ship. The medical staff will tend to your needs on board."_

Nethi smiled at his wife and gripped her hand. "_What do we need to do?"_

_ "Begin by gathering your things together."_ Uhura said. "_The captain is assigning teams from the crew to pack up items in the shuttles."_ Left unspoken was the fact that even the most capable Paladian would not be able to help with the needed tasks for very long.

Dipping his chin in a curved arc, Nethi gave Uhura a Paladian nod.

After that, not much more was discussed before the three left the couple's shelter. Layla procured a promise from Nia though, that the two would sit together and 'catch up' once the excitement had died down.

Only a few more shelters remained, with almost half of the survivors fallen ill or working with the ill.

To Uhura, it felt like little time had passed when the shuttles finally arrived and loading began. To Nia, it was too long. The Paladian was already exhausted and she hadn't helped with any of the real heavy lifting yet. She knew they would need her to, eventually.

At least, that's what Nia thought until someone just as strong as her beamed down to the camp.

Her lips lifted into smile as he approached.

As he neared her, the corners of his mouth folded down slightly. The smile Nia had sent his way was worn and she had begun to look quite poorly. Her hair hung limp around her face in collection of sweat and dust. While she still looked the best of all the Paladians, she still did not look well.

She noticed his scrutiny, but didn't bother asking if she looked alright. Nia already knew the answer to that question. "I'm glad you are here, but don't you have duties to attend to? I know alpha shift is over, but –"

Spock interrupted her. "Clearly the heat has begun to adversely affect you." He said and he took a step closer to her, the fold of his lips increasing slightly. "Aiding the settlers is a priority and as such all, but the most pressing of matters will wait. Sufficient time has passed to address those matters."

"Oh, right." She told him and then shook her head. Grabbing her pack from the ground beside her, Nia pulled out a lard bar and one of the last containers of water in the second pack one of the crew had been kind enough to bring her. "I think I need to sit down for a little while."

Privately, he agreed and followed her into the nearest shelter. She sat down heavily in the now open area.

"You know, it's a good thing my cousin Grego is so paranoid." She took a large swallow of water. "I heard from somewhere that it was his idea to bring the equipment needed to pull ground water to the surface. Wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't found an oasis, but made all the difference since they did."

"Perhaps it is not paranoia, but precautionary foresight." Spock told her, gracefully settling down next to her. He was not yet needed and possessed a short amount of time to spend with her.

Nia chuckled. "We only called it that to tease him. Our family would go on trips and Grego would be the one who'd packed that one little item that made all difference in the world. Our world, I mean. Because obviously we didn't affect the whole world, that just wouldn't make sense." Nia snapped her mouth shut. _Perfect. Now he's really going to think you've been affected by the heat. You're babbling. And you still are; only now it's in your head. Just perf-_

Her inner tirade was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Vulcan's face all too close hers. She squeaked and leaned back to quickly, knocking herself off balance and rolling onto her back. Her legs were locked together in a crossed position and she was certain she looked ridiculous as she untangled herself.

He didn't say it, but she looked remarkably like a Terran turtle, stuck on its back. He wondered if she was going to require assistance to get up.

Seeing him hovering, Nia tried to pull herself up as quickly as she could. She just barely managed to keep the remainder of her dignity intact.

"You should return to the ship." He stated.

"Maybe." Nia shrugged. She was exhausted, but if she left the settlers wouldn't have a familiar face. Still, thoughts of the ship were tempting. "With all the help the boys are putting into this, I'm going to end up owing them a card game." She frowned. "You too, if you play cards."

"I have played."

That got her interest. "But you don't usually play?"

"I find chess to be of greater intellectual stimulation." He informed her.

Despite the fact she should be pleased he shared that bit of information with her, Nia stared at him. "Chess? Really?" With a small groan, she shook her head.

"Please, explain your reaction." He implored of her.

"I've tried to play chess. Either I don't have the patience for it, or my opponent didn't have the patience to teach me. In either case, it wasn't a great experience." It had ended with her being called 'snippy' before losing her queen. At that point, she realized her partner was merely prolonging the game and not actually trying to win. Nia then threw her king at him. Yeah, definitely not the best experience.

Spock seemed to accept her answer before stating "Then we shall endeavor to provide you with a better experience."

"Are you asking me to play chess with you?" She asked, surprised.

"The recreation rooms have adequate boards. We can play there, if you desire."

_He _is_ asking me to play chess. Maybe it won't be as bad as last time. _"It is a date." She quipped.

"Is it?" He asked her, head tilted slightly to one side.

She was beginning to recognize the tilt as his 'please explain' look. It took a moment for Nia to realize he hadn't just tilted his head, but had also spoken. "What?" She asked. Her brain just wasn't up to its normal speed.

"Is it a date?" He asked again.

Frowning, Nia thought about it. "I don't know."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know terrible place to end it, but at least you have something to look forward to with the next chapter.

Thank you to **crusherccme, Tsovy, QHJumper, **and **Lilena **for reviewing. I really appreciate it. Also, thank you to everyone who has added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. I'm glad you are enjoying it.


	17. Chapter 16

**Many thanks to my awesome beta, TheWindowView. **

**Oh my gosh! I totally didn't mean for over a week to go by since my last posting! I got so caught up with an exam and such, a week had gone by before I was aware of it. **

**So sorry for the wait! I hope you all enjoy this chapter :) Any comments are welcome. **

_"Is it a date?" He asked again. _

_ Frowning, Nia thought about it. "I don't know." _

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure what a 'date' is. That was something Henry and I kind of skipped. We were friends and we'd spend time together, and then we were more than friends and spending time together and then he asked me to marry him." Leaning back on the palms of her hands, she said "Maybe we shouldn't worry about it. Let's just spend time together."

"I was not worried and are we not spending time together now?" Spock both stated and inquired.

_Don't roll your eyes. Just don't. _Nia told herself. She knew if she did, he'd ask and she'd explain why and he'd get offended. Or something. "You are correct, though I was meaning something a little different." A thought hit her out of the blue. She was probably never going to get roses and candles from this guy, like Henry used to do. Nia had no idea how Vulcans were romantic, or even if they were.

"You should speak plainly then, that way your meaning is not misconstrued." He told her.

_Ah! Don't do it! Don't roll your eyes!_

She stared at him. "Sorry. My thoughts are a little muddled right now, and obviously my speech is showing that."

And maybe she was a bit grumpy too. Her rations, while high in fat, lacked in taste. Straight butter would have tasted better. What she wouldn't give for a heaping bowl of her mother's stew.

Deciding she'd had a long enough break, Nia pulled herself to her feet. Soon, she was going to have to return to the ship for some much needed rest. _I'll leave when the remainder of the settlers have been placed._

"I'm not sure what else needs to done besides the heavy lifting." Nia told Spock, attempting to regain some sense of dignity. "For space reasons, most of the equipment and sheltering structures will be sent up to the _Exeter_ or be left here. Most isn't needed anymore or is broken, so why waste the energy?" She shrugged.

"Indeed." He responded.

Nodding, Nia struggled for something else to say as the pair crossed the sand. She could tell him what she knew about the other settlers. She might appear intelligent then… but not if he already knows everything she knew about the settlers. Then she'd look like a dunce for unnecessarily repeating information. Unfortunately, Nia was sorely lacking in any comment or topic of conversation that would land her safely in the 'not a dunce' category in her Vulcan partner's brain. She was assuming his definition for 'dunce' was a stricter one than hers.

In the middle of a well-developing, mental 'dunce' definition babble, an errant thought crossed her mind.

"Is it alright if I call you 'Spock' now? Instead of 'Commander', I mean." She winced. "That was probably a stupid question, but I didn't want to assume anything and –"

Having the fortitude to sense the beginnings of nonsensical babble, Spock interrupted her. "To address me as 'Spock' is acceptable and appropriate. Given our history for assumption, I find the need for clarification logical." He then asked "Should I address you as 'Niniane'?"

Nia winced again. "If you want. I usually go by 'Nia'."

"Why?"

She bit her lip. "I've never really thought about it. I'm not sure." She told him.

Spock was somewhat curious. "Have you always been called 'Nia' instead of 'Niniane'?"

"Oh, no." Nia told him. "My parents and grandparents still call me 'Niniane'. In fact, most of my parents' generation and my grandparents' generation still call me 'Niniane'. My grandmother on my father's side once told me it seemed more proper." Nia shook her head. "Who was I to argue? I like my name, it's just 'Nia' is more familiar." Grinning, Nia turned her head to look at the male walking next to her. "In fact, it was my youngest cousin who first called me 'Nia'. She was just learning how to speak and couldn't say 'Niniane'." Nia smiled fondly at the memory. "So she shortened it. And it has stuck ever since."

"So it is the emotional connection to the name 'Nia' that causes your preference for it?" Spock asked.

Nia smiled. "Yes."

"Fascinating."

Pursing her lips, Nia held back from chuckling. She'd shared that story before with Henry, and while she was not comparing the two males, Nia couldn't help but notice the differences between the two experiences.

With Henry, she was uncertain how to behave towards him. The human courting customs had largely escaped her at the time. Telling that story to Henry had not seemed as significant as telling the same story to Spock. The way he listened, and truly listened, was comforting. Henry was sweet, but being a visual person meant he had a short attention span during conversations. Spock, however, didn't seem to have that trouble.

Spock listened, and that small act made her feel important. Made her silly explanation for why she was called 'Nia' seem interesting, or 'fascinating' as the Vulcan had put it.

They reached their destination and quickly set to work hauling the larger items onto the shuttles with a few of the other stronger species on the crew.

As they were doing so, Nia asked "Why are you named 'Spock'?"

His eyebrows lifted slightly "My parents named me 'Spock' as is customary."

Since he was looking the other direction, Nia rolled her eyes. "Fine. Why did they name you 'Spock'?"

"My full name is S'chn T'gai Spock." He missed the horrified look Nia sent him as she quietly mouthed the name. "'Spock' was chosen by my father. It is the name of one of Vulcan's early society builders."

Nia smiled softly. "It is a good name."

"It is," he agreed before thanking her for the compliment. They continued hauling gear as silence fell for a moment before he spoke. "You have told me how 'Nia' originated, but what of 'Niniane'?"

"Ah, yes, well my mother is in love with all things Terran." Nia stated. She attempted to lift another piece of gear only to find it much heavier than she anticipated. Spock quickly set down his load and lifted the other side of the crate. "Do you know many older Earth legends?" She asked.

"I do not."

"Hm. You might find the stories of King Arthur and his knights to be interesting. It was never confirmed if he really existed or not, but you will find few Terrans who truly believe otherwise." They set the crate down and the loaded shuttle left.

"It is for a character in these stories you are named?" Spock prompted when she grew quiet.

"Yes." She said. "The Lady of the Lake. To some she is Viviane, wicked and treacherous as she tricked a wizard into teaching her all he knew before trapping him." She began stacking smaller boxes for easier lifting. "For others, she is Nimue, a woman who aided the knights in various ways on their adventures. My mother's favorite was of Niniane, a mix between the two. She also studied the works in which Niniane was featured, so she may be a bit biased." Nia took a breath, and realized Spock had let her keep talking again. She wondered if he was a really good listener or if she was beginning to annoy him.

He seemed to still be listening as he asked "Do you share your mother's preference?"

Nia was surprised by the question. "No, actually, though I prefer the name she picked. However, I like Tennyson's portrayal of the Lady of the Lake." She snorted. "But then, I like Tennyson's works in general and am biased in that sense." Seeing that familiar inquisitive tilt to his chin, Nia added "Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a well known 19th century poet."

"I see." He said. "Are you in possession of any of his works?" He asked. Spock found it prudent to look into her interests.

He deemed his question to be a correct action when her smile brightened. "I do have a small collection of his works on board. I can lend them to you, if you would like?" Her smile turned a little sly. "If you would find it satisfactory?"

"I would find it satisfactory." Spock didn't hesitate to take the out she presented.

Nia had briefly thought about what it might take to make him admit emotion, but remembered Kirk's grim smile. Yeah, pushing him would definitely be a bad idea.

As the day wore on into evening, the sand finally cooled and a majority of the camp had been packed up.

A certain Vulcan had also taken to hovering.

He denied it when Nia called him out on it, but his constant presence was starting to be more irritating than sweet.

Knowing she was already irritable from the long day and excessive heat, Nia tried not to let it get to her.

Spock was concerned. Nia was not behaving normally and seemed to have pushed herself too far that day. Her footsteps were more unsteady than usual and he found himself keeping by her side to ensure her safety. She'd stumbled several times. At first she accepted his assistance, but as it grew later he'd move to assist her and she would shake her head quickly with an irritated look. She grew increasingly tense and agitated with each of his suggestions for her to return to the _Enterprise._

He mistakenly attempted to follow her when she broke off from the group without announcement. Mig had shaken his head at the Vulcan while Nia gave him an incredulous look.

"She's just going to use the facilities before we finish loading the last shuttle." The Paladian man told him.

Spock merely nodded, glancing in the direction the Paladian woman had gone.

"I don't mean to intrude, but backing off may be the best way to ensure your survival." Mig told him, his accent lightly coloring his words.

"What do you mean?" Spock asked.

Mig sighed. "Clearly, you are concerned for her well being and she has obviously pushed herself to exhaustion today."

Spock opened his mouth to speak, but Mig held a hand up. "Her return to the ship is a valid suggestion and quite logical. However, this situation has upset her more than she is admitting to herself and it is showing in her actions." Mig shook his head. "She has her pride, and while it isn't the worst, it can be a detriment when she's not thinking logically."

Not seeing how this was connecting to the current situation, Spock kept listening. Maybe Mig would reach the point to his explanation soon.

Mig knew he was losing the Vulcan and Nia was bound to return soon. "She knows this is affecting her and she doesn't want you to see it and think it is weakness. To have her condition so obvious to you when she is already under stress is going to make her snap at the closest irritant." He paused for effect. "You, whether you realize it or not."

"So you are suggesting I not act so concerned for her wellbeing?" Spock asked.

Mig nodded. "Essentially."

* * *

Nia huffed as she slowly walked back to the remaining group, stopping to pick up the bottle she dropped. The sun had dipped below the horizon hours previous, but she hadn't taken a moment to notice the change in her surroundings beyond the necessity of portable lights.

Now, she paused to look out across the sand dunes beyond the edges of the remaining camp. There was no moon, but the stars were incredibly clear and a deep blue glow emanated from the sky to light up the sand. The stars were not as bright as the artificial lighting, but enough that she could see the orange glow of the sand in the distance.

She might have been standing there for two or three minutes when she felt a male presence behind her.

"Do you ever miss the desert?"

Spock's eyes flickered to her in vague surprise. She turned to look at him, noticed his look. "You have a certain scent" She told him. "It carries particularly well in this desert air, I've noticed." She grinned at him as his eyebrows rose almost imperceptively higher. "But I didn't smell you coming. I heard the footsteps first. A breeze blew when you stopped behind me."

He nodded, but didn't say anything. Believing a response to be unnecessary, he merely observed her instead.

She was relaxed, water bottle held lightly in one hand as she gazed out into the desert. The light color of her hair stood out against the backdrop of the shadowed sand. Nia's face was cast in shadow and her eyes just barely caught the light from the stars.

Even so, he could see that the amount of stress lines had decreased significantly.

"It is so beautiful." She sighed contentedly and as she relaxed, her hand slackened around the water bottle enough that it dropped from her grasp. "Oh for the love of –" She lifted her hands to her face.

When she didn't immediately move to pick up the fallen bottle, Spock knelt down to scoop it up for her.

Nia still had her face in her hands when he straightened up. With a small rueful smile, she delicately took the bottle from him. "Thanks. It's the second time I've dropped the darn thing." She dropped her eyes to the sand.

Neither said anything for a couple moments, until she looked back up at him. "You aren't going to suggest I go back to the _Enterprise_ again?"

The barest hint of a smirk drifted across his lips. "I was told doing so might be detrimental to my survival."

Frowning, she stared at him. "Who-?" She started and then realized "Mig! What did he tell you?"

"He merely warned me from unknowingly implying you are incapable and weak when you are stressed." He paused and the smirk grew a little. "He appeared to be speaking from experience."

Groaning, Nia put a hand to her forehead. "Snap at a person once and they never let you forget it."

"I understood it to have happened more than once, to multiple victims."

"Victims?" She sputtered. "No, it only happened… well… you see, that time... crap." She couldn't help, but chuckle. "So I wasn't perfect growing up."

"Is anyone? It would not be logical to expect you to be." He told her.

Nia turned to him. "Oh? And what did you do?"

Spock suddenly looked uncomfortable and Nia almost regretted the question. _Almost_, because his reaction made her want to know the answer more.

"I once fought with a schoolmate." He admitted.

Pursing her lips, Nia said "Oh my, how terrible."

The sharp look he sent had her giggling. "I do not find sarcasm appropriate. It was a matter of disgrace to my father."

Nia quelled her giggles quickly. "I apologize. I don't mean to make light of it, but a single fight with a schoolmate shows remarkable restraint. Maybe not for Vulcans, but for Humans and Paladians most definitely."

"Then you have fought with schoolmates?"

"I've lost track of the number of fights. Mostly with my cousins, the boys were quite rowdy growing up. Jacek still is," she rolled her eyes "but Grego really matured."

"Doctor McCoy informed me that Grego should make a full recovery." He said, quietly.

She nodded. "Yes, I know. Thank you for telling me."

Suddenly, she bent over and let herself hang limply, stretching out the muscles of her lower back and hamstrings. She could feel them tightening as she stood there and without thinking about it, Nia decided to fix that.

"Are you well?" Spock asked, the sudden change in position catching him off-guard. It was not a disagreeable sight, however.

"Stretching." She mumbled in explanation. Nia straightened and turned back towards the shuttles. "Should we head back? The sooner we get done, the sooner I get a real meal and some sleep."

"Indeed, we should rejoin the others. However, such things as a meal and rest are available to you now."

Rolling her eyes at him, she started walking. "Yeah, yeah" She said. With her back turned, Spock couldn't see Nia grinning.

With her back turned, Nia couldn't see Spock's shadow of a smirk.

* * *

A/N Ok, so a little more Nia/Spock. I hope you all enjoyed it!

Thank you to **TheWindowView, QHJumper, **and **crucherccme **for reviewing, and thank you to all those who have added this story to their alerts and/or favorites. I really appreciate it.


	18. Chapter 17

**Yay! Another chapter! Many thanks to TheWindowView who helped make this possible. **

**Read and enjoy!**

_What. The. Hell?_ Nia groggily thought as she attempted to roll over. The small couch made that difficult. She glanced toward her bedroom._ Who is in the room? _The events from the previous evening filtered in to her sleep deprived brain. _Oh. Oh I'm so going to get even with her for this. _Wena was sleeping in Nia's bed.

The captain had sent her to Nia's quarters when it became obvious the doctor was in desperate need of sleep. Kirk had never expected to meet someone who could compete with McCoy in grouchiness. He figured, and hoped, sleep might fix that.

Nia had discovered someone sleeping in her bed when she finally returned to the ship, and after recognizing the scattered brown curls Nia decided to just sleep on the couch.

Currently, Nia was realizing just how bad of an idea that had been. Not only was the couch uncomfortable and too small, but her friend was snoring. Loudly.

_When did she get a chain saw?_ Nia asked herself as she valiantly tried to muffle the sound with a pillow over her head.

It didn't work.

Finally, Nia had enough and decided to go to the one place she knew there wouldn't be any noise at this time of night. Or night shift, really.

Grumbling, pillow tucked under her arm, Nia made her way down the hall. She passed only a couple crewmembers, each double taking when they realized she was wearing her lab coat over her pajamas.

All she wanted was some peace and quiet.

In the morning, Spock was informed that Nia was in her lab and had been for several hours.

Expecting to find her working, he fully planned on giving her a stern lecture on the importance of rest and recuperation. Instead, he hesitated in the doorway to the lab. The empty lab.

He checked her position on the PADD again. According to it, she was still in her lab.

He walked carefully around the edge of the center counter top to find Nia. Whether she meant to be hidden from the doorway or not, she had picked the perfect spot to not be seen. She had a pillow under her head and was using her lab coat as a blanket. Where her legs jutted out from beneath the coat, he could see that she was still in sleepwear.

Letting out a small breath, Spock knelt next to her. "Dr. Sargent? Dr. Sargent?" He sighed and gently shook her shoulder. "Nia? Nia, wake up." His voice was quiet, but firm.

Still fighting the pull of consciousness, Nia rolled from his touch. She pulled the pillow with her and groaned as her head collided with the hard floor.

Blearily she opened her eyes and blinked until the Vulcan leaning over her came into view. "What?" She whined.

"Is there a problem in your quarters that prevents you from taking rest there?" Spock asked.

She blinked slowly then told him "Have you ever heard a chainsaw?"

"No, and neither have you."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." She quipped.

Spock merely raised an eyebrow and stood.

Nia looked up at him. "I have to get up now, don't I?"

"Affirmative."

With a long suffering sigh, Nia sat up. She used the countertop to haul herself to her feet. "Do you know where I can get some ear plugs?" She asked and then rambled without letting him answer. "Actually, I think I could make chloroform. Not that I would use it, but the threat might keep her awake enough to keep from re-enacting the Cretaceous Period."

"One would not expect Doctor Verde to have the lung capacity of a tyrannosaurus." Spock commented drily.

Nia stared at him, waiting for the light bulb to click. He just said something, and that meant it was important.

When it finally clicked, Nia started shaking her head. His humor was definitely something she would have to get used to. It was also something she wanted to get used to. "How did you know Wena was the one I was talking about?"

She was surprisingly slow this morning. "The captain informed me he sent her to your quarters."

_Smooth Nia, real smooth. Definitely should have guessed that one._ Nia blushed when her stomach growled. "I think I am going to get breakfast. Would you like to join me, or have you already eaten?"

"I have already partaken of the morning meal." He informed her. Regrettably, he had eaten earlier in expectation that she would be eating with Nurse Chapel, as was the scientist's routine. When she was not there, he sought to find her. However he expected to find her, asleep on the lab floor was not it.

Disappointment pinched at her, but she nodded in acceptance of his answer. "Oh, well. Did you need something from me, Spock?"

"I was merely confirming your whereabouts after the morning meal. After the computer informed me you were in the labs, I had expected to find you working."

Nia was suddenly painfully aware she was still in her pajamas. She was standing in front of him in thin cotton pants and an equally thin oversized t-shirt… and no bra.

_Oh no._

She found herself questioning why it couldn't have been one of the women who found her. She'd even take the boys over Spock. The lab was _cold_.

Trying to be subtle, Nia grabbed her lab coat and carefully folded her arms across her chest with the coat lying across her arms.

"I see. I appreciate the concern on my behalf." She said to him with a soft smile.

He noticed her sudden discomfort and the delicate way she had crossed her arms. Surmising that her appearance must be the source of her discomfort, Spock decided she would likely want to return to her quarters.

When he said as much and offered to escort her there, Nia was very unsure how to respond.

"Alright, Spock." She finally said. She was certain he hadn't meant to be insulting.

He handed her the pillow and together they walked to her quarters. As they walked, Nia was insanely glad to have the pillow in her arms along with her coat. It was a much better barrier.

She sighed and marveled at how out of it she must have been the previous night to not care about her appearance to the extent that she didn't hesitate to walk the halls without proper underwear on. The rest she could handle. Even the guaranteed atrocity her hair was sure to be and whatever remnants of drool that still lingered on her face were minor details in comparison.

She hugged the pillow a little tighter to her chest and upon seeing the crewmembers in the turbo lift, Nia positioned herself slightly behind Spock to block the view of her.

As was customary for them, the pair walked the majority of the way in silence. Nia was reminded of the easy peace she had found in the silent lunches she'd enjoyed at the beginning of the journey to the settlers.

Fortunately, the pair didn't come across anyone that Nia personally knew, much to her relief. Even if the others were likely to find out and tease her about her early morning escapades and sleeping arrangement, she was glad no one would be able to personally witness the occurrence. Besides Spock, of course.

And maybe Scotty. Nia wondered if he could be bribed to keep the security feeds confidential, baring a direct order from the captain of course.

At her quarters, he bid her a simple farewell as she opened her door.

His sentence was cut off when he heard the noise still emanating from her bedroom.

"I now understand your earlier comment regarding the sound of a chainsaw."

Nia chuckled, saw how his eyes were widened, and started laughing. She was loud enough that the snores abruptly stopped from the adjoining room and soft mumbling could be heard.

"Oops. It appears she might be waking up." She smiled at Spock. "I'll see you at the midday meal?"

"Should circumstances permit, yes."

"Good."

She stepped into her room and shut the door as he turned to walk away.

Carefully, she approached the bed where Wena was still apparently still sleeping. The dark haired woman was no longer snoring, but her breathing was indicative of sleep.

Deciding not to wake her, Nia quietly changed and left for the mess hall.

She was surprised to find Uhura still eating. "Hey," she said.

"Morning." Uhura responded. "I'm surprised you are awake. I hear you were one of the last to return to the ship."

Nia shrugged. "What can I say? I function well on minimal sleep."

The linguist rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Alright so there might be a possibility of my current roommate snoring."

"Ah, now it all makes sense. If you need somewhere to crash…" Uhura offered.

Nia shook her head. "I'm good. I crashed in the lab after I couldn't take the noise anymore."

"Bet Michaels loved that." Uhura said, smirking. She knew the young brunette would have a fit over finding anyone camped out in the lab.

Coughing, Nia shook her head. "I'm sure she would have, except it wasn't her who found me."

The other woman frowned. "Then who was it?"

"Commander Spock." Nia told her sheepishly.

She stared at the scientist. "Really?"

"Yep." Nia took a bite of her breakfast, while Uhura struggled to respond.

Finally, she said "I'm surprised you didn't get a lecture of regulation pertaining to acceptable activities in the labs."

Nia paused as she thought about it. "You know, so am I. Maybe he thought I was embarrassed enough as it was."

"Still in your pj's?" Uhura guessed.

"And lacking a certain… 'support system' that is apparently key to my confidence."

Uhura laughed. "Oh, it can't have been that bad."

"Oh it was." Nia sighed. "I might have also hid behind him in the turbo lift."

Laughing harder, Uhura put a dark hand over her face.

Nia watched her for a moment, but she couldn't hold back the giggles bubbling in her chest. "It was awful. It really was. If you tell anyone about this, I will kill you."

Uhura waved her hands in front of her. "No problem. My lips are sealed." She chuckled again. "What was his reaction?"

"Commander Spock? He was a gentleman." Nia rested her head on the palm of her hand for a moment. "It seems I am no longer able to maintain any dignity around that man."

"'No longer'? Something changed?" The linguist was curious and more than a little interested in the Vulcan's affairs.

It was then Nia realized exactly who she was talking to. "Yes, actually. The Commander and I have started a relationship." When Uhura's eyebrows rose, Nia rushed to say "I know the history you two have, so if you aren't comfortable with me anymore, I completely understand, and I just want –"

"Nia."

"- you to know that –"

"Nia, stop!" Uhura held up a hand as if to physically stop the flow of words pouring out of the other woman's mouth. "I'm not uncomfortable. It doesn't bother me. I'm good with still being friends." Uhura tried to assure her in the simplest terms possible.

"Oh. Ok." Nia took a breath. "Good. I got carried away, didn't I? Sorry."

Uhura just waved it off. "Not a big deal. Besides, I completely understand where it was coming from."

"Thank you." Nia's gave her a relieved smile.

* * *

Kirk frowned as he read over the reports.

He didn't have as many as he expected, with the head of each family electing to write a single report instead of allowing each member to write a report.

Such a thing wasn't all that uncommon; however Kirk wasn't expecting the distinct lack of information contained in the reports.

Each event that led to the settlers' arrival on the desert planet was either quite vague or not addressed at all.

Even all that could be ignored, if it were not for four specific reports throwing up red flags for the captain.

It was when the last of the reports had been turned in by the midday meal, a full day after the rescue, that Kirk's suspicions had started. He requested Spock meet with him in the ready room.

When he showed the reports to his first officer, his suspicions were confirmed.

At first, the Vulcan didn't see what bothered the captain so significantly. He looked over the head of family reports and stated "While the lack of information is bothersome, it is not uncommon. It merely is indicative of a lack of trust and potentially a lack of information on their parts. Surely, the reports of those more directly involved in the events have more detail?"

Kirk shook his head. "That's just it. Spock, here are the reports of those most involved." He pulled up the four reports he had earlier flagged.

Spock frowned as he read through them at a speed slightly baffling to Kirk. "While not identical, these reports bear a similarity that is not displayed in the other documents."

"Exactly." Frowning, Kirk took back the data PADD. "Spock, do you think the other families have the full story?"

"You are implying that the four reports of those most involved have been altered from the truth, and that they are the only ones who possess the full truth of the events that took place." Spock stated.

Kirk took a barely a moment to work through all he said. "Yes." He thought for a moment. "Uhura mentioned that Dr. Verde was only willing to trust us after Sargent gave the green light. I need to speak with these four."

Spock nodded. "Indeed."

"Spock, I need to you to go down to Engineering and get a team together."

As Kirk fleshed out the details of the assignment he had for Spock, the Vulcan felt a twinge of discomfort. The four reports had been given by four individuals of whom only one was the head of a family. Two of whom, he'd spoken directly with.

Nethi, Jacek, Mig, and Wena Verde.

All four were connected to Nia. All four had written suspicious reports.

The twinge of discomfort grew.

* * *

A/N: So here is the next installment. Nia figured it was time for her to embarrass herself in front of Spock again, and who am I to say otherwise? XD Please, tell me what you think.

Thank you to **forestreject** and **QHJumper** for reviewing. I love hearing from you guys!


	19. Chapter 18

**Once again, my beta TheWindowView is amazing for all her hard work and dealing with my random tense changes ;P**

**Please, read and enjoy. Any comments, critique and praise, are welcome. **

For the full day after the rescue, Nia was on edge. The feeling of discontent that had hit her when first approaching the settlers' camp had slowly grown to a looming foreboding.

Wena had attempted to be light hearted with her usual antics, but it was painfully obvious to Nia that it was just a front the doctor was presenting.

The first midday meal had been proof of that. Nia had been eating quietly with Spock, this time sitting on the same side of the table as him instead of across, and Wena had taken Nia's usual place.

It had taken too long for the two to fall into their typical half-speak, where one predicts what the other is going to say (usually correctly, but not always). When the two had finally reached that level of comfort, the effort to act nature was still straining and Wena was clearly uncomfortable.

At first Nia had thought it was Spock's presence, since Nia had not yet had the opportunity to tell Wena about the change in her 'relationship status'.

Nia could only imagine how Wena was going to react to _that_. With whatever was going on with her friend, it was unpredictable.

After the meal, Wena had disappeared into the medbay to check on her previous patients. McCoy had taken over primary care, but that didn't stop her from being concerned or from wanting to be involved in their recuperation.

McCoy understood, but that didn't stop him from being vastly annoyed to the point of contacting the labs to demand that Nia come collect her friend or else he was going to be putting her on mandatory bed rest. An order he was prepared to enforce.

Nia practically ran through the halls to the medbay and dragged Wena back to her quarters on the condition that McCoy would keep the half-Paladian constantly updated.

He'd grunted in response to that request, but Christine had caught Nia's eye and indicated that she would take care of it.

With a quick mouthed 'thank you' the Paladian scientist was hauling the half-Paladian down the hallways. Despite the protests, once Wena was seated on Nia's small couch, she was asleep. Nia quietly covered her with a blanket and sat in a small chair near the couch, reading one of the few books she had brought with her.

_And up and down the people go,  
Gazing where the lilies blow  
Round an island there below,  
The island of Shalott. _

She silently read the poem and started to regret her choice as she continued. The descriptions of the land made her picture what she loved about Palad, she felt a little homesick. Usually Nia found comfort in her fanciful interpretations of Camelot, her understanding of the Lady of Shalott, and (who she imagined to be) a handsome Lancelot.

Reading the description of the knight, Nia giggled when she pictured Spock instead. The giggle turned to full out laughter as she pictured his reaction to her picturing him as a knight. Wena stirred and Nia stifled her laughter. She set the book of Tennyson poems aside to lend to the Vulcan at a later point.

The evening passed much the same as the afternoon, with Wena being too exhausted to do much more than eat.

The next morning was a different story. Wena couldn't keep still.

Predicting this, Nia merely handed the woman a pair of Starfleet issue work out sweats and told her to meet her in the gym. She had an idea.

"So, how is this a good idea?" Wena asked at the edge of the work out floor.

"I don't know what's going on with you, and whatever it is, it is eating you up inside. You're anxious and need something to do." Nia gestured to the machines. "Keeping in shape, and really pushing the limits of the machines has really helped me. So has sparring with Sulu, but I don't know if you what to do that."

Wena shook her head. "Nah, I'll probably stick to fighting inanimate objects at this point." She could only imagine not holding back enough and hurting Sulu, whoever that was. Maybe the guy she and Nia had sat with at lunch. His name had started with an 's', right?

"Sure, sounds good." Nia said.

Nia went to show Wena some of the equipment, but the other woman stayed where she was.

"Why haven't you asked me?" Wena asked.

"Asked you what?" Nia countered.

Wena snorted. "You _know _what I'm talking about."

"You're right, I do." Nia sighed.

"So why haven't you asked?" Wena asked again.

Nia looked at her. Her friend was braced, as if preparing for a blow. "Wasn't sure if it was too soon." Nia told her honestly. "How about we work out, then you tell me everything over some ice cream? I'm pretty sure I could get a hold of a couple of pints, somewhere."

Wena grinned, relieved. "Now that sounds like a plan. Then you can tell me just what is going on with that guy from lunch." She shared a laugh with Nia.

The two briefly bumped shoulders and turned to the machines.

"Alright, where are we starting?"

Nia pointed. "Punching bag. Come on, I'll show you how to wrap your hands."

The scientist hadn't realized how much nervous energy had built up inside of her friend until Wena started pounding on the punching bag. Thank goodness whoever designed the equipment had nonhumans in mind. The woman left the punching bag eventually, but kept up the stamina as she moved on.

Nia wondered briefly if she was going to have to explain to Kirk why he needed to arrange for new equipment. She shrugged when she thought about it. Oh well. At least she's not a full blooded Paladian. Then it would be a guaranteed conversation.

As it turned out, Nia and Wena were unable to have their own conversation over ice cream after their work out. Instead, the pair was told to report to the Captain's ready room. Mig and Nethi also joined them. Jacek was also requested, but McCoy overruled the captain to keep the man on observation. The Paladian was still recovering from his mad run in the sand.

A table was set up, with the captain seated at the head when the four arrived. A couple security officers waited outside the door.

Once everyone was settled, Kirk began by asking "I trust you and the other settlers are settling in well?"

Nethi nodded. "Yes sir. All the families wish to extend their thanks to you and your crew. We understand that many voluntarily gave up their quarters for our use."

Nia and Wena shared a grin. Wena hadn't asked, Nia hadn't offered, and both knew neither would ever need to.

"It was the least that we could do, Nethi. I hear your wife is doing well? And the child?"

It was clearly a good thing for Kirk to ask when Nethi's chest swelled with pride. "Yes, both Layla and our son are healthy and fit."

Smiles were shared around the table as Kirk said "Good, that's good."

The atmosphere was notably relaxed. Wena and Nia were smiling with affection at Nethi, and Nethi was doing his best proud male posturing while seated. Kirk was grinning, and Mig –

Nia realized Mig was frowning and staring at the captain.

"Sir," Mig said, his tone serious. "Why did you ask us here?"

Surprisingly, Nia felt Wena stiffen beside her. At quick glance at her showed something beyond fear flit across her face. Nethi looked the same. Mig's face hadn't changed.

The captain sighed. "Well, I just have a couple of questions. You three were among those most involved in the happenings that led to the crash landing of your ship and so I believe you to be the best ones to ask." He glanced down at the data tablet in front of him before looking back up. "It's too bad that Jacek is still under observation. He'd probably be _the_ best to ask."

Wena frowned. "Why is that?"

"He's your engineer, right? He was working on the warp drive when it crashed, correct?"

Mig nodded. "Yes, he and Grego are both engineers. Not our only engineers, but the heads of their area."

Nia smirked. "Jacek's the wrench jockey, while Grego is the wire biter."

Chuckling, Kirk waved a hand. "All the same, it is unfortunate that neither have been cleared to leave the medbay. Dr. McCoy is one of the best doctors in Starfleet, which means his orders are absolute."

Wena snorted and then shrugged at the 'you can't talk' look Nia sent her. At the captain's surprised look, Wena said "Sorry. I'm still a bit sore for being banned from the medbay."

"Understandable, though I'm afraid we've gotten a bit off topic."

"Yes, sir. You said you had questions?" Nethi prompted.

"Yes. Let's start with, what happened to your navigation systems?" Kirk asked, tapping his tablet as if to check off something on a list.

Nia again caught a weighted look shared between the others.

Wena was slightly cursing herself. "They malfunctioned."

"I see." Kirk nodded. It was a plausible occurrence. However… "Why wasn't this included in your report?"

Wena shrugged. "I wasn't in control of the navigations system; I was in the infirmary when there was a problem. Surely, it was included in Jacek's report?"

"No, it wasn't." Kirk said.

Yet another look was shared, much to Nia's bafflement and annoyance.

"Oh." Was all Wena said.

Nethi spoke up. "That is unfortunate." When he moved his hands from their folded position on the table to his lap, Nia noticed the faint tremor in his wrists.

The discontentment suddenly made sense as Nia looked around the table. It was from _them_, she was picking up on what they were feeling. More than likely, they were trying to hide it and whatever they were feeling was really much stronger.

_What in the world is going on?_

She reached out to touch Wena's hand and, predictably, the woman jerked her hand away. Looking up at her face, Nia caught the jerk of Wena's head. The message was clear: 'Don't'.

"So none of you know exactly what happened to the navigation system?" Kirk looked around the table as he asked.

Each of the four shook their heads.

"Well, that's not a significant problem. I was just wondering how you ended up on a planet not directly between Palad and Nee-Pala –"

"NiPila." Nia corrected gently. NiPila was the name of the planet many Paladians were immigrating to. It roughly translated to 'new home'.

"NiPila, and a malfunctioning navigations system makes perfect sense." He tapped again on his data tablet.

Nia raised an eyebrow. Was he even paying attention to them?

"Each of you wrote that the warp drive malfunctioned, causing the need for your emergency landing." Kirk stated. "Only one of you, though, mentioned a possible cause."

Wena and Mig looked wildly at each other before looking at Nethi. Nethi noticed, but beyond a glance refused to look at anyone, but Kirk.

Kirk stared hard at Nethi as he spoke. "Nethi, I believe it was you who mentioned a possible antimatter containment breach?"

Nia's head fell into her hands. She had already heard that the colony ship the Paladian settlers used had been reduced to a pile of rubble by an explosion that took place very shortly after all the settlers evacuated.

However, while an antimatter containment breach would cause an explosion, even Nia knew that such an explosion would have also reduced everything in a hundred mile vicinity to… to… nothing. The campsite would have been completely annihilated and there most definitely would _not _have been any rubble left of the ship.

By even mentioning that an antimatter explosion could be the cause, Nethi had just showed how much of a bluff those reports really were.

"If you are going to lie, antimatter really was not the way to go." Nia grumbled, words slightly muffled by the hands still over her face.

Nia surprised Kirk with that statement. He had wondered if the scientist had been involved in the cover up that was happening. Her words made it clear she was not involved.

"Nia-" Wena started to say, but Nia cut her off.

"Don't 'Nia' me." She snapped at her friend. "Just what is going on? Really? 'Cause it sure as hell wasn't antimatter and I can tell you all are hiding something big. Fellow Paladian, family member and best friend, remember?" Blood started to heat her cheeks as her ire grew. "You may be able to hide some of it, but with something this big, you can't hide all of it." She gestured to the captain. "And now, you are lying. Why, I don't know, not can I defend it since I don't know." Sighing, she rubbed her face with one hand.

More than a little hurt and angry, Wena glared at her friend. "You want to know what we are hiding? Fine." She reached out and gripped Nia's hand fiercely.

Nia had suspected the depth of her friend's turmoil, but she couldn't have prepared for the magnitude of terror and raw fear that nearly overloaded her senses. The second time in a month, Nia had her emotions taken over by someone else's, by emotions not her own.

She would have rather felt Spock's grief again than this tumult of fear, grief, and all around anguish. This wasn't the terror that stemmed from just having one's own life at stake. This was the terror born of having one's entire family at stake. At having everyone you hold dear at risk. The emotions were doubled, tripled, quadrupled as the other Paladians let go of their own emotional shields and Nia lost awareness of her surroundings.

Eventually, a shout of "Enough!" cut through and Nia found herself on the floor beside her seat. Evidently she'd fallen when attempting to act on the instinctual fight or flight response.

Blinking, she saw the faces of Kirk, Wena, and McCoy hovering over her. Nia centered on Wena's face. "You're going to start talking. Now." She demanded.

Wena sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Captain Kirk beat you to the punch and already commanded us to give him a full report of the truth this time."

"Good." Nia said as the two men helped her sit up and move back to her seat. She looked at McCoy as he ran his tricorder over her. "When did you get here?"

"After she touched you," he jerked his chin in Wena's direction "and before you hit the floor." He rounded on Wena. "What the hell were you trying to do? Give her a heart attack?"

Wena rolled her eyes. "She's Paladian. She can take it." She snapped. Her words softened quickly, though. "It was the only way to really show her how I, how we all are feeling."

It was McCoy's turn to roll his eyes. "Right. 'Cause talking is so outdated."  
"Excuse me, but you have no idea what you are talking about!" Wena growled.

Suddenly furious, McCoy leaned forward and opened his mouth.

Seeing what was coming and not wanting to witness how a slapped McCoy acted, Nia spoke up. "Alright, time!" She shifted so that Kirk what is her field of view. "Maybe we can get back on topic?"

"Bones," Kirk said, laying a hand on his friend's back "Leave it. We have to get to the bottom of this first. Is she alright?"

McCoy checked Nia's vitals one more time. "She's fine." He muttered. He straightened and stood behind Kirk with his arms crossed.

"So, now," Kirk said after once again checking his data tablet. "What is the real story?"

"Quick question," Nia held up her hand. "What have you got on that PADD that is dividing your attention so much?"

His smile was a bit grim. "Commander Spock and a team of engineers are investigating the rubble. So I really suggest the truth be told this time."

Wena sighed. "Alright."

* * *

A/N: The fact I had to look up warp drives in an attempt to figure out how to plausibly blow up a ship was a source of much amusement to my father, the original trekkie in my family. I hope this much works.

Thank you to **Tsovy, MoonWarriorLuna, **and **QHJumper **for reviewing. Thanks to those who have added this story to favorite and/or alerts. All of it really warms my heart :)


	20. Chapter 19

**Many thanks to my awesome beta, TheWindowView. **

**Here's a little bit of a longer chapter for you all. Read and enjoy! **

Wena leaned back in her seat and opened her mouth to tell Kirk all she knew.

Mig interrupted her though, seemingly just as eager as her to finally get the truth out. "It was one of our amateur engineers."

Kirk's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

Nodding, Mig continued. "Yes. Our two head engineers, Jacek and Grego, were incapacitated by this man before he then tampered with the warp drive. I believe he also tampered with the navigations system."

Neither Nethi nor Wena made eye contact with the captain as he looked at the other faces around the table. Nia's eyebrows were furrowed and she was squinting slightly in confusion.

"So," She began "why not just say that in the first place?"

"It was Bakor." Wena whispered.

Nia's head once again met her hands. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." She swore.

Silently, Kirk watched the interaction between the four Paladians. At this point in time, maintaining control of the flow of the conversation wasn't as high a priority as was gaining information. He was gaining plenty by just observing the way they regarded each other.

For example, it was obvious that Sargent had little involvement in the current situation. Her surprise and frustration were genuine. Mig was sincere and almost desperate as he spoke. Nethi struck him as being simple minded, caring only for things that personally affected him and his family, and being ignorant to the rest of the world.

Verde… Verde was different. She struck him as being very angry and at times seemed to be a female Bones. Only, a little higher strung. He really wasn't sure how Sargent and Verde got along, given what little he knew about the two women. Nia was certainly stuck to the half-Paladian's side.

As content as he was to watch, Kirk did need information. "Who is Bakor?"

Wena's voice was small as she answered "He's the son of one of our Council members."

"Council members?" Kirk questioned. "As in _Federation_ Council?"

Every Paladian nodded slowly.

"Oh hell." Kirk said. "Oh _hell_."

Nia snorted. "Yeah."

"What the hell happened?"

Mig sighed. "We are not certain." He sent a meaningful look at Wena.

She caught it and began to speak. "He started exhibiting symptoms of extreme paranoia and – and he may have been caught in a delusion when the events in question took place."

McCoy spoke up "And you didn't think to document this?"

Wena glared at him until the look softened as she turned to Kirk. "As the most qualified of the medical personnel on board I should have caught the signs." She let out a short breath as her eyes got glassy. "Obviously, I didn't." She rubbed a shaking hand over her face.

"It is not your fault alone." Mig countered. He looked at Kirk and said "Bakor was an amateur, but was well liked by both Grego and Jacek. He was also incredibly intelligent. In the midst of his delusion, he trapped the brothers, altered the headings of the navigations system, significantly damaged the warp drive to the point an emergency landing of the ship was necessary."

Nethi finally spoke. "Our pilot is very good, or else we may not have made it."

"Pilot's lucky, too." McCoy said from behind Kirk. "Damn near landed you on top of the only oasis in the area."

"I assume Bakor was also the cause of the explosion that destroyed most of the remainders of the ship?" Kirk asked.

"You assume correctly." Wena said. "We aren't quite sure how he did it, but with the way he was acting no one was really surprised."

The way she said that seemed off to Nia. As she stared at her friend, Nia realized, _She _liked _Bakor. She knew him and liked him. This is more than just missing the signs of a crewmember. This is missing the signs in a friend._

"So why lie?" McCoy asked, slightly baffled.

Kirk understood though and answered the question for the Paladians. "Because the last thing Palad needs is for the actions of the insane son of a Federation Council member to be public knowledge." He crossed his arms with a smug smirk that didn't really reach his eyes. "Palad is already being viewed in poor light after the issue with the aide agreement with the Vulcans. Palad looks bad, looks incompetent or like liars. Add potentially hereditary insanity to the list and you have a whole new ball of chaos." The smirk fell away and the blond man sighed. "Palad's public standing and standing with the rest of the Federation could be damaged by this."

"Which is why it isn't in our reports." Wena said.

"But it will be now." McCoy stated. He looked at Kirk. "Right?" He asked.

Nia began to wonder just why he was hovering behind Kirk. When had he appeared anyway? During her 'episode' after Wena had unleashed all her emotional turmoil on Nia. Was that why he was there?

The data PADD alerted Kirk as a message came through. It was Spock's findings.

"Alright," Kirk said. "I think I've heard enough. I have the findings from the investigative team on the planet, which I will look over shortly."

In very short order, Kirk dismissed the Paladians and sent them on their way. After they left, McCoy turned to Kirk.

"Why did you send them away?" The doctor asked.

"Because, Bones, I want to confirm their story without their bias nearby."

McCoy grunted in response. "So is there a reason for my continued presence or do you just enjoy wasting my time?"

"Spock is sending up a body."

"And you wanted me to hear the explanation so that I can confirm or deny their story."

Kirk slapped the other man on the shoulder. "Exactly."

After they left the captain's ready room, the two women went in a different direction than the two men.

Wena let Nia lead the way down the hall as she was clearly heading for the mess hall and the half-Paladian really didn't know her way yet around the ship. She'd spent most of her time on board in Nia's quarters, asleep.

Sitting down for a quick meal, Wena decided to break the ice. "So, I know you're mad at me."

Nia shook her negatively. "I'm not mad, just disappointed, I guess."

"Of course,." Wena said. She geared herself up for 'the talk'. Sometimes she wished Nia would just yell. "You want to talk about it?"

Her answer surprised the doctor. "Not much to talk about. I wish you had trusted me more."

Guilt plucked at Wena. "I'm sorry. I do trust you; I just don't know how to handle this situation."

"I understand that." She smiled at her, light grey eyes meeting green. "I really do. That's why I'm not mad."

"Just disappointed?"

"A little, yeah."

Wena accepted her answer, nodding. "Alright. So, you gonna tell me about the guy we had lunch with yesterday or what?"

Nia stared at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Don't give me that look. What's going on between you two?" Wena asked, rolling her eyes at her friend.

Snorting, Nia shook head. "You're going to kill me."

"… You're dating him, aren't you?"

She coughed. "Maybe."

Wena stared at her. "You're right. I am going to kill you."

"So I could have told you sooner, but it didn't seem like the appropriate time and I didn't want to cheapen what has been going on with you." Nia explained.

A light bulb clicked on for Wena. "Wait a second; this is new, isn't it? I mean like couple weeks new, not couple months new."

"Couple months?" Nia scoffed. "Please, girl. Imminent peril or not, I would not have been able to keep my mouth shut if this had been going for a couple of months."

"You still held out longer than I would have."

"Right because you were oh so bursting at the seams to tell me about Bakor and his madness."

"I was!" Wena defended. "Couldn't you tell?"

"Uh, ice cream date much?"

"Oh, right."

The two shared a look and giggled.

Giggles quieting, Wena grinned softly at her friend. "So, obviously you met on the ship?"

"Yep." Nia answered as a wide smile spread across her face.

"Oh, will you just spill already?" Wena snapped, her patience wearing a little thin.

"Fine, fine!" Nia said. "So yes, I met him on the ship. He was one of the first to greet me and then I sat with him at lunch the next day."

"Really? So it was all love at first sight and he asked you to sit with him?" Wena near squealed.

Nia gaped. "No! I was just looking for a place to sit and there happened to be an empty seat at his table."

"Ah, yeah that's not nearly as exciting." She sighed. "Here I was hoping for some good drama."

"Ok, there might be a little drama." Nia told her sheepishly.

"Ex?"

"Sorta, but she's cool."

Wena stared at her. "I was only kidding."

Nia laughed at the look on her face. "I know. It's the truth though."

Shaking her head, Wena tried to get the conversation back on track. "So what's the drama, if not the ex?"

Giggling, Nia tried to calm herself. Otherwise, the situation would turn into one of those times where she started laughing before the punch line could be told. "I didn't eat lunch with him once, but several times."

"Bow-chicka-bow-"

"Don't even."

"Sorry. Can't help it."

Nia shook her head. "Anyways. I had been eating lunch with him for several days when some rumors started to get spread about us."

Wena's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Yep. And it didn't help matters when I, uh, 'touched' him." Nia looked away briefly before turning her eyes back to catch her friend's reaction.

"You 'touched' him? As in, you '_touched'_ him? Are you kidding me?" Not waiting for a response, Wena plowed on. "Why would you do that? You _know_ how rude that is! It's a total invasion of privacy!"

"I know, I know.' Nia held up her hands as she spoke. "I don't know what I was thinking. I just knew he was hurting and the instinct to help hit me hard. Not as hard as his emotions, however."

"That's not surprising."

"It was almost as bad as what you and the others put me through today."

"That is surprising."

"Yeah, so now I know why Vulcans control their emotions so tightly."

That also surprised Wena. "He's Vulcan?"

Nia stared at her friend before pursing her lips. "You _met _him. Weren't the ears a dead give away?"

Cheeks a vibrant red, Wena grumbled "Oh shut up. I wasn't paying attention."

"Some doctor you a – gah, Wena that was my mouth!" Nia spat the wadded up piece of napkin out as her friend laughed at her.

"I can't believe he's Vulcan." Wena shook her head. "Only you."

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you want the rest of the story or not?"

"Well, yeah. Don't leave me hanging. How did he react to you 'touching' him?"

Nia shrugged. "Pretty well, as far as I could tell. He has excellent emotional control, so I really couldn't tell. He did sit with me for a while, and helped me work through the emotions."

"That's good. Why did the rumors start from that?" Wena asked.

"Because we were in my quarters for a few hours. And no, nothing happened."

"But that doesn't matter for the rumor mill."

"Not at all. I'm not sure what happened on his end, but then Michaels, my assistant in the lab, approached me about the rumors. I made a joke about the sparring mats and soon we were goofing off and talking about how great 'Matt' was."

"Oh. Oh, don't tell me." Wena could see it coming. "Don't tell me he overheard the conversation and misunderstood everything that was said."

"And told the captain who then came to me to ask why I hadn't filed the appropriate documentation for an inter-personnel relationship."

For a moment Wena thought her friend was kidding. When it sunk in, she started laughing and clapped her hands in mirth. "Oh my gosh. That _had _to be awkward. Oh, that is hilarious."

"Tell me about it. I was so embarrassed when I realized what the heck Captain Kirk was talking about."

"I can imagine. So did anything else happen after that?"

"Not much. We talked and realized we like each other. Well, I realized I liked him and took his presenting of the official documentation for an onboard relationship as a sign that he liked me too."

Wena nodded. "Makes sense. So how was the first date with this… what's his name again?"

"Commander Spock. He's the – "

"The one who is not only the First Officer, but also the one leading the investigation of the remains of the ship?" Wena gaped then shook her head. "Well at least he's not the captain."

Nia rolled her eyes. "Right. We haven't been on a 'date' yet. What is a date, anyways?"

"Oh you know. I'm sure that Henry took you out on plenty."

Nia just shrugged. "Not really. Paladians don't date."

"I know _that_. I may have been raised on Earth, but I am half Paladian and not totally ignorant." Wena snapped, offended at the implication.

"Well Henry knew that, and so he didn't try to court me in the human sense."

"So are you and Commander Spock trying to date in the 'human sense'?" Wena asked. Her eyes flickered behind Nia for a brief second.

Nia frowned. "I don't know. I guess so. I have no idea how Vulcans court."

"We do not." A familiar voice said behind her, startling her with its closeness.

"Spock," she said with a smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is this not our usual arrangement?"

Wena snorted as Nia flushed. "It is. The captain told us you were on the team that was looking over the rubble of the colony ship, so I expected you to be busy with that."

Spock sat down next to Nia. "Did you not expect the task to be performed in an efficient and timely manner?"

"Well – " Nia just barely caught the hint of a smirk that tipped the corners of his lips before she stuck her foot any further in her mouth. She gave him a sly grin. "Well, you were working with humans. I assumed they would slow you down."

"I was recently informed of what happens when one assumes." He responded.

"Ah yes. " Nia said. "You make an ass out of you."

"And me." Wena piped up. Her eyes grew large. "Damn it, you did it again!"

Nia couldn't help, but giggle. When she saw Spock's stoic expression, she wondered what he thought of their antics. Maybe she would get a smile out of him yet.

Addressing Wena, she said "It's not my fault you fall for it every time."

"You're the one who apparently can't spell."

"Can't or won't?"

"Same difference."

"I do not believe that to actually be the case." Spock interjected.

Wena opened her mouth to argue back and then seemed to remember who exactly she would be going against. She settled for rolling her eyes with a muttered "Whatever. Not gonna go there." She dug into her lunch with a little more veracity.

Nia just smirked and continued eating.

The table fell into a brief silence that barely lasted a couple of minutes before Wena abruptly stood with a remarkably clean plate.

"Where are you going?" Nia asked. She could have sworn Wena's plate had been almost full just a minute ago.

"The medbay." She caught Nia's look and said "Don't worry, I won't annoy Dr. McCoy too much. I just want to see how the others are doing for myself."

Nia nodded in understanding. "Alright. If I have to come get you again, though, I'll tell everyone about that time –"

"You won't have to come get me. Jeez. So untrusting." Wean rolled her eyes as she left the table. When she had placed her dishes in the appropriate receptacle, the doctor turned around for a brief moment and made eye contact with Nia. She winked and then ducked out of the mess hall as quick as she could.

Nia stared at the empty space near the doorway, dumbfounded. Then it clicked. "Oh that little…"

"Is there a problem?" Spock had witnessed the interaction, but was unaware of its meaning. He almost frowned. Her friend had left rather quickly after his arrival; had he been the cause for her departure? "Did I cause an offense with Dr. Verde?"

Quick to reassure him, Nia shook her head. "No, no that's not it. She didn't leave because she was offended."

"But you also do not believe she left to go to the medbay?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I think it was just an excuse."

That didn't make any sense to him. "An excuse for what?"

He didn't expect the slight blush that bloomed in her cheeks. "She left to give us time together."

"I was not aware her presence affected such a state of being."

"Spock!"

* * *

A/N: Some answers to the intrigue and a little bit of interaction with Spock. Don't worry, there is more in the next chapter XD I have to say, Spock really likes to challenge me. It's difficult to keep him from being OOC.

Anyways, thank you, thank you to **Cc, **and **QHJumper **for reviewing. And, of course, thank you to all who are following this story. I'm glad to know you like it enough to get alerts for it :)


	21. Chapter 20

**Many thanks to my awesome beta, TheWindowView for taking the time to help me perfect this story, even though it has taken on a mind of its own and is going far beyond anything I imagined. **

**Please, read and enjoy! All comments (the good, the bad, and the ugly ;P) are welcome. **

He was unabashed by her outburst, but was undoubtedly curious as to the reasoning behind it. Did he do something wrong after all? He was aware of doing so, yet her saying his name in such a manner clearly indicated that there was a disconnect between her viewpoint and his.

Nia almost laughed at the expression that briefly appeared on his face. While his expression was now stoic, a moment earlier it was very clear that her outburst had caught him off-guard.

She sighed and shook her head at him, expression rueful. "I was meaning to imply that she left to give us time as a couple without another person interfering."

Spock thought for a moment before accepting her answer. "Then perhaps we should use this time to discuss a matter that has come to my attention."

Anticipating a question about the settlement (and the remains of the colony ship, and the fiasco with the reports), Nia nodded in agreement. "Please. Let's not waste time."

"I was unaware you are so unfamiliar with human courting customs."

Nia's eyebrows skyrocketed. Not an unwelcome topic, but really not one she was expecting. "I married a human, but I was often told we did not go about it in a typical fashion. It was only as I spent more time with him that I started behaving in a more Terran fashion." She tried to explain.

"You have previously stated such information. While not knowing how to 'date', as humans put it, is not a problem in itself it becomes a problem when paired with the fact neither of us is familiar with the other's courting customs." And Spock truly felt it would be a problem. Where could the relationship go, if there was no way for it to develop?

Nia admitted to herself that he had a point, and she had had similar thoughts. "We could try the Vulcans ways of courtship." She offered. The thought didn't make her wholly comfortable, but she could do it.

"We have none." He told her. He didn't miss the faint relief that mingled with her surprise.

"You told me of the arranged marriages. Is that the only way Vulcans find an acceptable mate?" She almost asked what happens when the one dies, but caught herself before she could be so callous.

"It is the most common way, but not the only accepted way. As an Ambassador to Earth, my father found it logical to marry my mother, a human." He told her.

"Did he ever tell you about their courting?" She asked.

"He did not. However, he did inform me that not only was marrying my mother logical, but also because he loved her." He answered. Spock tried to understand the changing expressions on Nia's face. He didn't realize there could be such a variety of surprise.

For the most part, Nia was pleasantly surprised. By telling her this, Spock was allowing her a look into a part of his world. Well, maybe not his world as in his existence, but what one can't see behind the Vulcan control. The fact that his father loved his mother was also good to know.

It meant he _could_ love, and while he may never come to love her, the fact was Spock _could._

"Where are they now?" She asked innocently.

"My father is aiding in the settlement efforts on New Vulcan. My mother," he grew quiet for the smallest of moments and Nia felt a dawning horror before he finished his statement. "My mother did not make it off the planet."

Compassion swelled in her heart as she remembered the awful grief she had experienced previously. "I know it is not enough, but I am sorry, Spock." Nia rubbed a hand over the right side of her chest (where the Paladian heart lay) as she felt pang in her heart for the man. "She was a big part of what you were going through that day, wasn't she?"

For once, Spock was glad for the lack of specificity of her question. He understood it, nonetheless, but it seemed less painful than it could have. He nodded in response to her question.

Nia sighed, decided to leave that painful subject behind. "So how are we going to court? Human or Paladian style? I'm willing to bet either direction will be interesting." She grinned.

"First, I must ask: what is the purpose behind Paladian courting?" He asked.

Frowning, she asked in return "What do you mean? Do you mean the ultimate goal or desired outcome?"

"Indeed." He nodded. "Often humans are satisfied with a certain level of relationship. I would not be."

Relief flushed through her. "Oh good! I wouldn't be either. Paladians court as a way to… test the, I'm not sure what word I want to use, uh," she waved a hand next to her as if to conjure the word before her, "compatibility! Yes, courting is a way to test the compatibility of oneself with one's chosen mate. It's a period of time where we can decide to walk away if we deem the relationship to be unsatisfying." She bit her lip. "Does that make sense?"

"It is logical and the way I expected this relationship to proceed."

"I am so glad you said that." Nia told him. She hadn't really expected him to say otherwise, but the fear had built up in her anyways.

Spock agreed with the sentiment to her statement. "Please, inform me as to how Paladians court."

She smiled. "Well, first I must admit to having followed a part of Paladian tradition. Since it seems not to matter for humans which gender initiates the courting stage, I figured it wouldn't let it matter for me." She shrugged. "For the most part."

Ignoring her last statement, Spock thought back to that day in her lab. "This is why you initiated the relationship. Is it customary for females to follow this course of action?"

"It is." She responded.

"So then females are more dominant on Palad?" He asked. That had some potential for strife.

His concerns were banished however, as she vigorously shook her head. "No, no the males are more dominant and in fact are very territorial." Nia frowned. "Now that I think about it, it is our fathers who are most supportive of this tradition. It is a sign of respect, in some ways, to allow the female to initiate the relationship. Now, I have lived on Earth too long to be concerned with that," she informed him, not wanting him to think she was being disrespected by any means.

"It appears to be similar to the Terran act of opening doors for females and pulling out chairs." Spock surmised.

She shrugged. "I suppose it is. Though in this instance, it is a way to ensure that females have the freedom of choice, instead of being forced into an… unwelcome situation."

"The males of your planet are that territorial?" He asked.

"Not anymore." She answered with a sly grin. "In fact, for a while females were overly domineering as a result of fighting against what was viewed as male tyranny. The current society has found a healthy balance, and females are allowed to be timid and mild mannered once more."

"Something you yourself are not." He said.

The look on his face hadn't truly changed, but Nia felt that he was somehow teasing her.

Smirking, Nia turned her head away from him. While she knew her personality wasn't abrasive, neither was she a shy little girl. "No, I am afraid if you desire a timid female you would have to look elsewhere."

He also smirked. "Then it is beneficial that I do not desire a timid female."

Nia looked at him in surprise. He had risen to the bait without changing the inflection of his words. She briefly considered questioning the logic of his statement until she realized he could easily refute that the statement was factual and therefore logical.

Nia almost rolled her eyes when she realized the voice in her head had sounded exactly like Spock.

Scrapping up the last of her meal, Nia noticed that Spock was also finishing his. "What time is it?" She asked.

"12:53"

She winced. "I should probably head back to my lab. Well, maybe check on Wena first and then head back to my lab. I am sorry that we did not get a longer opportunity to speak."

"There will be other opportunities."

"There will be." She agreed. Standing, Nia smiled at him one last time and told him "I hope the rest of your day is satisfying."

He nodded in acceptance off her statement and watched as she made her way out of the mess hall.

Nia sighed as she made her way down the hall. For whatever reason, she wasn't looking forward to getting back to work in her lab. Of course, she felt she had little other options. The work needed to be done.

Yet, with everything happening with the settlers, she felt her focus needed to be elsewhere: maybe on the more immediate problem of aiding the group of her people currently aboard the ship, maybe on how to help her friends and family through this mess.

She'd reached the med bay without realizing it and the sudden turn she took once she had made her bounce on the edge of the doorway.

McCoy looked up in surprise at the familiar grunt he heard. He saw Nia rubbing her shoulder with a sour look on her face. With a sigh, he quickly ran his tricorder over the area to make sure she didn't injure herself.

"Wall jump out in front of you?" He asked.

Nia just glared at him. Looking across the medbay, Nia caught the familiar sight of a loosely bound mane of dark curls. She raised an eyebrow at McCoy.

He rolled his eyes when he caught the direction she had looked in. "No, I haven't kicked her out yet."

"So she's not causing any trouble?"

"I didn't say that. Just said I haven't kicked her out."

Nia chuckled. "How is she?"

He cast her a sideways glance, then simply said "As good as she can be."

"Good," She said. "It's not great, but it's good."

Surprisingly, McCoy gently laid a hand on her should for a moment. "She'll get through this. They'll all get through this."

"All?" Nia asked, tears starting to smart her eyes.

"I'm not going to tell it will all be sunshine and daisies, but it won't be hell." He gestured to the occupied beds. "Even the worst are going to make a full recovery." Catching her hopeful look, he added "In time, of course. In time."

"Of course," she said, but it was too late to keep the happy smile from spreading. Nia suddenly frowned. "Where's Jacek? I see Grego, but where did Jacek go?"

McCoy frowned at her. "He went to go find you. Think Michaels might have taken him to your lab."

"My lab?" Nia frowned and then a look of horror spread across her face. "My lab. Oh dear. I have to go."

McCoy just shook his head as the Paladian practically ran out of the medbay.

"Was that Nia?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin when that voice spoke up from behind him. "Dammit woman, don't do that!" The male doctor snapped.

Wena just rolled her bright green eyes. Impatiently, she stared at him.

Clearly she wanted something, but McCoy didn't have the time to figure it out. "What do you want?" He near snarled.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Want? You shouldn't ask that unless you really want the answer." She ground out. From the first moment she'd laid eyes on him, the man had grated against her nerves.

He returned her glare with equal ferocity. "Either spit it out or let me get back to doing my job."

"_Our_ job." Wena corrected. "You don't work for me and I don't work for you. I have as much right to attend to these patients as you."

"Excuse me?" McCoy stepped up close to her. "Did you miss the fact that _I _am the _Chief _Medical Officer on this ship? That means I'm the one in charge in _my _medbay, not you. You being allowed in here is a courtesy that I don't have to extend to you."

Wena's smile was grim and mirthless. "Oh, but it is. You want these people to trust you? Then you damn well better show them a face they can trust." If he had no concept of a personal bubble then neither did she. She leaned into his face. "Guess what? That face they trust isn't yours."

McCoy growled and shifted close enough that their noses almost touched. He opened his mouth to issue a particularly cutting comment when a voice neither one expected to hear spoke up from left field.

"_Please argue somewhere else._"

McCoy and Wena both leapt into action.

"Grego!" Wena said in surprise as she rushed to his side. "_How are you feeling?_"

"_Like Jacek crashed the ship on my head." _

Wena smiled. "_You do not feel that every day?"_

The man let out a weak chuckle that quickly turned into a cough.

Meanwhile, McCoy was checking the man's vitals and condition. He had absolutely no idea what the two were saying though. "Want to speak Standard for the human in the room?"

Grego blinked groggily at the gruff doctor. "I am sorry." Grego frowned. "Who are you?"

McCoy pointedly ignored Wena's smug look. "Name's McCoy. I'm the CMO."

"CMO? We are on a ship?" He sent Wena a near panicked look.

She was quick to lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's ok Grego. Starfleet sent a ship to rescue us. _Nia trusts them._"

Relaxing, Grego smiled at McCoy. "Then I should thank you. You've saved me from the wrath of my brother had I died."

Obviously it wasn't the right thing to say when Wena winced. Grego frowned.

"Your heart stopped, Grego."

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That would explain the pain in my chest then."

At the mention of pain, McCoy began to ready a hypo.

"It would." Wena agreed, watching warily as the other doctor injected her friend. She'd recognized the medication he used, but she still didn't trust him. Or like him. At all.

Grego looked around. "Where is Jacek?"

This time McCoy snorted. "He's in Dr. Sargent's lab."

Wena gaped and Grego groaned.

"I take it that's a bad thing?" McCoy asked. He'd already guessed as much when the woman had taken off as soon as she'd heard.

"He's like a bull in a china hutch." Wena told him.

In a separate part of the ship, Michaels was warily watching as the big Paladian explored around the lab she and Nia worked in. He'd said Nia wouldn't mind, but after seeing the mischief that kept appearing on his face every time he touched a piece of Nia's equipment she wasn't so sure that was the truth.

As if summoned, Nia appeared in the doorway with a gust of air. She'd obviously been running.

Not even taking notice of Michaels, Nia's eyes zeroed in on the rather fragile piece of equipment he was holding in his hands.

"Jacek! You put that down right now!" She scolded.

"Aw, but Nia – "

"I mean it!"

"Are you still sore about the nitrogen triiodide? Because I found that to be quite fun." He gently set down the device in his hands.

Nia glared at him and hissed "Fun? Fun? Your little explosive set me three months behind in my research!" She stalked towards him.

As he hastily backed away, Michaels flattened herself against a counter. To be honest, to crewman hadn't thought Nia _could_ get so angry.

"It was not my fault you did not keep your files backed up. And you are the one that knocked the container of crystals onto your computer." Jacek pointed out.

Nia narrowed her eyes, but Jacek didn't stop talking.

"Besides, you said you had forgiven me after I aided you with your research."

She didn't stop glaring at him, but the tenseness in her shoulders eased. He was right; she had forgiven him after he had put so much effort in to rectifying his mistake.

Jacek noticed the tension and took a step towards her. He raised a hand to touch a tool that caught his eye and Nia near exploded.

"Don't!"

"But –"

"I forgave you, but I don't trust you. Besides, you tackled me not three days ago! Please leave." She tried to be firm.

"What does that have to with me being in your lab? I apologized for that too, and you said –"

"Out!" At the slumping of his shoulders, she sighed. "Come on. I'll show you were the gym is."

Jacek grinned as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the lab.

Michaels let out the breath she had been holding as they left. "Oh boy." She said. Then she began to inspect everything the man had touched. "Nitrogen triiodide? Really? What else did he expect to happen when he used touch powder?" She muttered to herself, wincing as she thought of the damage the highly explosive substance would cause to an unsuspecting computer.

That man was not allowed back in the lab.

* * *

A/N: So, a little bit about Paladian and Vulcan dating customs and some interaction with others. Not very eventtful, but don't worry there are some very interesting chapters up ahead...

Thank you to those who have decided to follow this story and/or added it to their favorites. Also, thank you to all those who have previously reviewed. I'm not afriad to admit that I enjoy the attention.


	22. Chapter 21

**My beta is awesome. Simply put. **

**All ridiculous things that happen in this chapter have happened in real life, either to myself or my SFM (sister from another mister or really, my roommate), or were inspired by thing that have happened to us. **

**That being said, read and enjoy!**

"Will you stop that?" Nia exclaimed.

Sulu stared at her. "Uh, stop what?"

"Not you," she snapped. "Him." She pointed behind Sulu.

Jacek was standing at the edge of the mat, grinning like the Cheshire cat. He saw Sulu looking at him and the look was changed to one of false innocence.

Sulu looked back at Nia and told her "Ignore him. Remember you have to keep your focus on your enemy."

Nia smirked. "And here I thought I had to pay attention to my surroundings?"

"It's best to do both without getting distracted." Sulu explained. "Think of it this way, your surroundings may be something you can use against your enemy."

She glared behind him as he spoke.

"He's doing the chicken dance now." She informed her sparring partner. Earlier Jacek had been flailing his arms to get her attention and then would made ridiculous suggestions on how to take Sulu down.

Determined not to let her cousin get the best of her, Nia tried her best to ignore the strutting idiot and watch Sulu as they circled the mat.

She must have done too well of a job because she forgot her surroundings and turned her back to Jacek.

With a sudden jerk and a high pitched yelp, Nia hit the floor hard.

"Come on, man." Sulu whined as Nia rolled over.

"Jacek!" She yelled as she stood up.

The big Paladian was quickly making his way out of the gym, laughing uncontrollably the entire way. While Nia had her back to him, he'd grabbed the mat she was standing on and yanked. Of course, Nia toppled over.

Shaking her head, Nia turned back to Sulu. "My cousin has the maturity of a five year old."

He snorted. "That's insulting for a five year old."

Nia grinned. "Too true."

"Not that I believe violence to always be the answer," Sulu started "But you could spar with him. Show him you aren't someone to be messed with."

She dodged his punch before he blocked her kick. "Uh, no. Not happening. I do not want to get hurt."

Sulu grunted as her elbow caught him hard in the ribs. "You really should think about changing up who you spar with, though."

Nia frowned. "Why?"

His kick barely missed.

"You've really improved since we first started. You land hits more often, I dare not try to throw you for fear of being tossed myself, and you're barely winded by the time we finish."

She seemed startled by that and the next hit knocked her back.

With a grunt, she rolled with the hit to lessen the blow and use the energy behind it. Nia hadn't really thought about it, but Sulu was right. She had improved. And her endurance level _was _high. Really high. These sparring sessions were barely affecting her on the days she didn't get injured enough for a trip to the medbay.

Sometimes she even got the upper hand when Sulu started slowing down. She hadn't started off with higher endurance, but seemed to have built up to it.

Maybe it was a Paladian thing.

"Ok, so I see your point." Nia grudgingly admitted. "However, Jacek is not the person I should start sparring with. The last time I sparred with him I ended up with a broken wrist and a fractured collarbone."

"Ouch." Sulu sympathized. "He really didn't hold back."

Nia shrugged. "Well, I might have _accidently _knocked a box of itching powder on his head."

Sulu's deadpan look had her cracking up.

Yeah, those were some good times. Grego had tried to maintain his disapproval, but it the end laughed and just shook his head. He still lectured, but only a couple of sentences before he couldn't keep a straight face. Her father had grumbled something about immature males, while her mother had just rolled her eyes.

Twenty minutes later, Sulu both figuratively and literally threw in the towel. "I'm done. I need a break." He said.

Nia shrugged. "No problem." Her breathing had hardly changed. It felt odd, now that she thought about it. Yeah, her endurance levels were definitely up. She'd heard Paladians could be physically active longer than humans, but she'd never before found that to be true.

Then again, she never needed to push her endurance levels before. It must be like a muscle, she surmised. One she just needed to work out and build up.

Nia didn't have time to test the theory, though. She had just enough time to get another round of testing done in the lab before the evening meal. Then, after that, Spock was teaching her how to play chess.

Wena was convinced he had a death wish.

* * *

Shortly after the evening meal, Wena found Nia fumbling with a hair clip in the bathroom of 'their' quarters. An extra cot had finally been added, and the two were already comfortable with sharing a room.

"Here, let me," Wena said after seeing what the problem was.

Nia sighed and handed the clip to Wena with one hand while still holding half her hair back with the other.

As she gently slid the clip into place, Wena realized just how decorative the clip was. While Paladians didn't often wear makeup, hair accessories were frequently used, sometimes instead of other pieces of jewelry.

The clip Nia had chosen was heavy and sturdy enough to hold back the crazed locks, but it had a delicate, leafy design with several sparkling stones that would be visible even from a distance. It was a clip for attracting attention when one wants to be subtle. Wena also noticed her friend had braided a couple locks of her hair to be clipped back.

Her expression must have shown her surprise because Nia blushed.

"I know the gesture is probably pointless, but I feel prettier." The full Paladian had also adorned a simple pair of earrings to match the clip. "He's Vulcan so I don't he'll understand or even notice –"

"Hun," Wena interrupted. "He may not understand, but he will definitely notice. I'm not sure if there is much you do anymore that he doesn't take note of."

"When you put it that way, he sounds like a creeper." Nia grumbled. She toyed with a free strand of hair before she decided to braid the hair that feel onto her shoulder.

Wena groaned. "I didn't say that. I meant that he's male, you're a female he is clearly attracted to, and you two are in an exclusive dating – sorry 'courting' relationship." She rested one closed fist on her hip as she stared at her friend in the mirror. "You certainly notice everything _he_ does, now, don't you?"

Chewing her lip, Nia shrugged. "I guess I do." She stopped braiding her hair and really looked in the mirror. _Alright, Nia _she told herself. _You are attractive. You don't need Spock noticing for that fact to be true. Besides, _she smirked. _He's already proven his interest in you. _

"There you go." Wena whispered.

Nia looked up from her musings in surprise. "What?"

"You grabbed a hold of you confidence again."

Nia smiled. "Now, let's see if I can hang on to it. Come on." She grabbed her friend's arm. "This is not someone who knows the meaning of 'fashionably late.'"

* * *

And late she was not. In fact, she arrived shortly after Spock and followed him to the vacant chess board.

She eyed the board as she sat down across from him. The three dimensional board was slightly intimidating, and knowing who she was going to play against made it seem even more so.

He set up the board with himself as white at her choice.

"Alright," she said before he made the first move. "I know how the pieces move, but there have to be some basic moves you can teach me."

"As you wish." He said and then proceeded to demonstrate one of many openings.

Across the room, Wena enjoyed her position as a spectator through a couple rather quick games. It gave her a perfect view of both of the couple's faces and Nia's expressive one was an entertaining contrast to Spock's blank one.

"Enjoying the view?" A low voice asked from behind her.

After Wena jumped, Captain Kirk moved around her to take a seat beside hers.

She rolled her eyes and smirk. "No, I'm enjoying the show." Wena corrected.

He grinned and watched the couple with Wena. "She doesn't like chess, does she?" Kirk suddenly asked.

"Not really." Wena answered. "How could you tell?"

He shrugged. "She's really trying to play and use what he's taught her, but she's starting to get frustrated."

"Well, the commander does like to play chess, doesn't he?"

"Yes, what does…" Kirk paused as a thought crossed his mind. "She's trying to impress him."

This time Wena shrugged. "She's got her pride, too. As I'm sure he does."

Kirk frowned. "You think she's trying too hard?"

Wena shrugged again. "Maybe."

The two didn't speak for a while. While there was no animosity between the two, Wena was still a little uncomfortable. She wasn't sure how to act after the false reports, even though the man had approached her the day before.

He'd stopped her in the hall way and said "You should know that the investigative team's findings match your new reports."

She'd let out a slow breath. "Glad to hear it." She said quietly.

Kirk had found her statement odd, but decided not to call her out on it.

Now the pair was stuck in an uncomfortable silence as they watched his friend aid to the growing frustration of her friend.

Kirk was beginning to wonder if Spock's idea to teach Nia chess was such a good idea and Wena was beginning to wonder if she should rescue her friend when Nia's demeanor suddenly changed.

The full Paladian started smiling and smirking smugly after every piece she moved. The amount of time she would take in between moves grew shorter and Spock began to gaze at the board with a peculiar intensity.

Frowning, Wena turned to Kirk and said "I don't know enough about chess. Why is she smiling?"

Kirk was staring at the board as Nia made another move, this time giggling slightly.

"I have no idea." He told Wena. "What _is _she doing?"

He could tell Spock was confused too and attempting to figure it out.

"That girl has an awful poker face." Kirk muttered.

Wena's frown deepened at that statement. She studied her friend and then looked at the board. She looked back at her friend, and back at the board.

Kirk stared at the half-Paladian as the woman grew red in the face and started snorting. She was clearly trying to hold back her laughter and not doing well.

"What's so funny?" Kirk asked. He really couldn't see a reason why she was laughing.

"Well, first of all," Wena got out "she isn't a girl."

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Come on, she's barely older than I am and I get called kid plenty."

Wena raised her eyebrows in an 'oh really' look. "She's thirty five."

Kirk froze. "No." He denied.

"Yes." Wena affirmed.

"No." He tried again. "That would make her about seven years older than Spock. She has a decade on me."

"And your point is?" Wena asked.

Kirk eyed the woman next to him suspiciously. "And how old are you?"

"Old enough, that that's a dangerous question."

"Are you over thirty?"

"No." Wena snapped.

"Are you almost thirty?"

She glared at him.

"Wow. You _are _old." He smirked.

She gaped at him. "You are such –"

"An amazing captain?" He leaned and gave her a smug grin. "I know."

Wena huffed and turned her attention back to the pair dueling over a chess board.

Kirk turned with her and was surprised to see Spock go still. He looked at the chess board. "No way." The captain muttered.

Across the room, Nia was starting to get worried by the look Spock was giving her. Clearly he was expecting her to do something.

"What?" She asked.

"Checkmate." He announced.

"What?" Nia asked, startled. "But you haven't even moved yet!"

Spock raised an eyebrow. "It is not I who won."

"What?" Nia was starting to feel like a malfunctioning music file.

"It is my king that is in checkmate."

"No way." She said and then Nia stared at the board. Or, more specifically, his king. "You're right."

"I am aware."

"How did I do that?"

He raised his eyebrow again as he said "Clearly the strategy you employed was superior. Your changed demeanor indicated that you were aware of this several moves prior."

Nia bit the inside of her cheek as she sheepishly looked up at him. _No, that is not at all what happened,_ she thought.

Wena sidle up beside her and gently bumped Nia's shoulder with her hip. Wena looked at the board. "You won?" She asked, surprised. Snorting, she added. "About time."

Nia groaned and looked up at her friend.

Wena caught the look and started laughing. Hard.

Kirk had shown up at Spock's side and the two men were staring at the two women in confusion.

"Jim, I –"

"I don't get it either, Spock." Kirk interrupted.

Hearing this, Nia finally started laughing along with Wena.

Finally gaining enough control of herself to speak, Wena asked "Did you really just bluff your way through a game of chess, and win?"

By now, Nia was laughing so hard she wasn't making any noise, save for the random clapping of her hands. It was all she could do to nod in response to Wena's question.

Kirk and Spock shared a look.

"Wait, you bluffed? How do you bluff in chess?" the blond man asked.

"Indeed." Spock said. He also wanted to know the answer to that.

Nia lifted her hands up in an exaggerated shrug. "It was accidental. I was expecting to get beat. Again." She didn't have the heart to tell him that she'd completely lost interest in their game and was randomly moving pieces just to confuse him. Besides, she figured he could probably guess what was going on.

"Alright, let's play a game you can't accidentally win at." Wena suggested. "Actually, all four of us could play. What do you think?" She asked, looking at each face in the group.

Kirk was surprised, Spock was unaffected, and Nia was contemplative. "Depends. What game you thinking of?"

"I don't know. You're the card player. What are some good four person games?" Wena asked.

Nia thought about it. "Maybe casino, or hearts? We could play foot in mouth," She turned to the men with a sly grin "if you boys are up for the challenge?"

Kirk decided her calling him a boy wasn't as funny when he knew how old she was. "Foot in mouth?" He asked. "That sounds like disease."

Nia chuckled. "That's hoof in mouth, something that affects Paladian cattle too." She leaned forward. "I assure you, the only danger is to your egos when you lose."

"You are certain you will be the victor?" Spock asked.

She caught the glint in his eyes as Wena smirked. "Actually it's a team game. And I'm certain that we" she gestured to Wena and herself "will be the victors." Then she shrugged. "At least for the first round. Then we can change up the partners if you want."

"Hey, no. I'm not ok with that." Wena gestured at Kirk. "I have no idea how he plays. I don't want to get stuck with him."

Kirk stepped up to Wena until their arms barely brushed. "What you don't think that a genius level intellect resides behind this pretty face?" When she only spared him a disbelieving look and stepped away from him and behind Nia, he shrugged. "That's fine, I'm sure the senility will play in our favor."

"Senility?" Nia gasped.

"Age and treachery before youth and skill." Wena returned.

Nia glared between Kirk and Wena before looking back at Spock. "I hope you realize he just did the equivalent of slapping her with a glove. That's a pretty bold move."

"A trait that has served him in the past." Spock informed her. That glint still hadn't left his expression.

"Ok," she said. "Your funeral. Let's get this game started."

* * *

A/N: So my beta laughed while reading this. Several times. I really hope you did too. And yes, the next chapter does the conclusion of the 'date'. Man, those two took forever.

And of course, thank you to **QHJumper** for reviewing the last chapter. You have reviewed almost every chapter and I really appreciate the time you take to do so.

Also, thank you to those who enjoy this enough to follow and/or favorite this story.


	23. Chapter 22

**Many thanks to my awesome beta. She's helping me keep these characters in line, even when they don't want to cooperate. **

**Read and enjoy! **

In the end, the game came to a draw within an hour. Nia wasn't sure how it happened; she'd never played a game of foot and mouth that quick.

Thinking about it, she decided that Wena and Kirk were to blame. Those two were the ones who started it. Wena had been showing of her skill with the game by playing quickly and Kirk decided to do the same thing.

Nia had assumed that Kirk was doing it to make fun of Wena, until she realized he'd made a really good play. She'd thrown Wena a surprised look, but didn't say anything. She kept quiet even after Spock played with the same speed Kirk had used. The pattern repeated until Nia finally rolled her eyes and joined the trio in laying out her cards as fast as possible.

Wena had tried to claim that the females had won, but Spock had argued that the rules stipulated that the winning team reached the designated number of points first per the count at the end of each round, not that the winning team must have the most number of points.

Instead of continuing the argument, Wena decided to just call it a draw. Then she promptly challenged Kirk to a game of gin.

Noting the time, Nia stood and asked Spock to escort her to her quarters. "I have something for you." She caught Kirk's look just in time. "A book." Nia clarified and the human male rolled his eyes.

"'Book'. Right." He muttered and Wena frowned at him as the odd couple left. "What?" He asked when he saw her frown.

She just scoffed at him and told him to play.

About halfway back to Nia's quarters, Spock broke the silence between the two.

"You mentioned a book? Would this be a collection of works by the poet you spoke of to me?" Spock asked, pace steady as the pair walked down the halls.

"Yes, actually. And it contains one of my favorites, 'The Lady of Shalott'." She said with a soft smile. "Though, I suppose some could consider it a bit morbid."

"Why is that?"

"Well," she said "You'll just have to read it to find out. You'll know by the time you read 'What is this? And what is here?'" Nia grinned as he simply nodded his head at her obscure answer.

"Am I to believe that you consider Tennyson to be your favorite poet?" Spock asked, genuinely interested.

Nia thought about it. "Maybe. I have a hard time picking favorites though, which is why 'The Lady of Shalott' is _one_ of my favorites, not my only favorite. There are other poems by other poets that I enjoy just as much."

"I see." He said.

"What kind of literature does Vulcan have?"

"Vulcan literature is different than Human literature, and often does not translate well." He told her.

"Is it logical?" She asked with a teasing smile.

He caught the smile and noted the differences between it and her usual expressions of content. "Is all Human literature illogical?"

She opened her mouth to say the teasing retort "Why, yes it is," but closed her mouth as she thought about it. "No." Nia finally said. "Not all of it is illogical. Some of it was written for the express purpose of making the audience think, of leading them to a logical conclusion."

"The same could be said for Vulcan literature in terms of logic. Some is written in the style of our ancestors, a time when logic did not rule the minds of Vulcans."

As they continued walking, Nia idly lifted one hand to play with the half done braid falling onto her shoulder. After discovering it loosening, Nia lifted her other hand to undo then redo the braid.

Spock noticed her movements, but didn't comment. He'd noticed that human females had a tendency to play with their hair when attempting to solicit the attention of a male. He found the fact Nia felt to do so odd. She already had his attention, after all.

They arrived at her quarters and she ushered him inside, while leaving the door open. Nia led him to the case where she kept the hard copies of her books and pulled out the thin one she had been looking at the other day when Wena was sleeping.

"Here," She presented it to him with a surprisingly shy smile.

He delicate took it from her and saw the book marks she'd presumably used to previously mark her favorite works. Other than the pages being yellow, the book was in remarkably good condition.

"You have been careful to preserve this book." He noted.

She blushed. "I have. I'm usually careful with all my books, since they are not often printed anymore." Nia had been criticized in the past for spending too much money on such a trivial thing, but she'd always appreciated the feel on the pages between her fingers and the smell of the paper and the glue that held it all together. Books were made studier than in the past, and Nia had found that with proper care the books usually lasted longer than the current generation of technology.

"Then you do not often lend your books to others." He gathered.

The blush deepened. "No, I don't." is all she told him in response.

Lending him this book was significant, Spock realized. While insignificant from an overall perspective, the act of trusting him enough to handle something she had an emotional connection to was an indication of trust. Spock had often wondered why humans would read so much into simple acts and had always considered doing such to be illogical.

However, even while analyzing her actions from a logical perspective, Spock could see the impact of this act. Quietly, he told her "I will take care of this item as you yourself would."

Nia lifted her chin to gaze on his face instead of the very delicate way he handled her book. "Thank you." She told him. Nia, in the same delicate manner with which he held the poetry book, lifted her hand to just barely graze her fingers over his wrist.

Establishing another connection was a bold move, but Nia had desired to touch him again for the entirety of the night. With her fingers barely touching his skin, Nia was able to create a very fragile thread of empathy between them.

Across this thread, Spock could pick up on her trust in him, her respect for him and the differences between them, and… on her affection towards him.

Without breaking the gentle contact, Spock slowly turned and lightly laid the book in his hand on the table in the small sitting room.

Once again facing Nia, he broke the connection for the briefest of moments when he guided her hand to rest on his shoulder. Once there, Nia fingers slowly extended until the connection was once again established with the skin of his neck.

Nia kept the connection light and wondered if he could feel anything at all from her. She was certainly getting plenty from him, though she had a feeling that was unintentional. The control the Vulcans maintained was indeed extraordinary, but it didn't change the fact that the emotions still existed and were very tangible to the Paladian's empathic abilities.

Nia had expected to be content with just barely brushing his emotions, but his interest broiled against hers. The image of a mountain fit best. A mountain was very much alive and active despite the colder exterior. A mountain that could wreak havoc or stay bottled up forever.

An emotion other than interest also pushed through the connection. She wasn't sure she could name it; it was so different than anything she'd ever experienced. However, it was laced with something she could name: respect and admiration.

Nia was so focused on sorting through the medley of emotions that she didn't notice Spock's change of position until that _scent _was all she could smell and the _interest _pushing through changed ever so slightly. Just enough that her breath quickened.

Whether the speed of her breathing was nerves or not, she couldn't tell and she didn't take the time to sort it out.

Instead, she leaned towards him.

As she did so, Spock idly wondered what it would be like to kiss her. He wondered if her skin and lips would be soft. Would her skin be warm and damp in comparison to the dry coolness of his own?

Ever the scientist, Spock knew there was only one valid test for uncovering this information and when Nia hesitated close enough that he could feel her breath, Spock leaned forward to find out.

Nia had just started to feel the pressure of his lips against hers when an odd sound drew the couple's attention to the still open door.

After a couple games of gin with Wena, Kirk had decided it was time for him to get some rest before his next shift.

Being a doctor, Wena couldn't protest. Much. The opportunity to call him out on having a bed time was too good to waste. Even McCoy, who'd showed up during the first game, had chuckled.

Of course, the captain maturely responded by calling Wena an old maid, to her outrage. McCoy had laughed outright then and Wena had been sorely tempted to kick the CMO.

Clearly, that intention hadn't translated well in the look Wena sent him because the man only laughed harder when he saw it.

With a huff, Wena had gotten up and stormed out of the rec room. She'd stalked down the hall, grumbling about pain-in-the-butt Starfleet Medical Officers and their mocking expressions.

Ignoring the fact that she actually liked Nurse Chapel, Wena's rant turned full swing and began to target everyone who worked in or was affiliated with the _Enterprise_'s medbay and its prestigious doctor.

So caught up in her ongoing rant, Wena didn't give much thought to the fact that the door the quarters she shared with Nia was open. After stepping past the doorway, Wena looked up and froze. Her best friend and the commander were standing very close to each other; at least one of his hands was settled on her waist while one of hers settled on his shoulder, just barely resting against his neck. Their faces, their faces were…

Wena's mouth dropped open in the millisecond it took for her to realize what exactly she was walking in on. A small, high pitched "uh" escaped her throat before she clapped a hand over her mouth.

When Nia's eyes turned to her, Wena knew she had to get out of there before she ruined the moment anymore. Whirling around, Wena intended to get out of there like a bat out of hell. Instead, she got up close and personal with the door jam.

"Ow!" She yelped. "Mother- Holy- ow!" Her moment pushed her forward and carried her out into the hallway, swearing. "Dang it, that hurt!"

Through the still open doorway, Nia's voice drifted out. "Wena? You ok?"

Wena answered with a muffled voice "No. I'm out of here." She head back down the hall, using the wall as a way to guide her when her vision blurring from her watering eyes.

Back in the quarters, the couple hadn't moved beyond turning their heads to stare at the now empty doorway.

"Did Doctor Verde-"

"Just hit the doorjamb with her face?" Nia finished. "Yes, yes she did."

Looking back at Spock, Nia saw his eyes were wide and disbelief filtered in through the still present connection. Unable to hold back, she rested her head against his chest and succumbed to the laughter that shook her body.

"I do not see what you find amusing about your friend's near injury." He told her as he stared down at the top of her head. His hands had not yet moved from her waist and her hands still rested on his shoulders. One hand was still lightly touching his neck and maintaining the connection.

She only laughed harder at his statement and Spock began to feel the effects of her humor on his own emotional state.

He could only describe it as a feeling of mild weightlessness as he raised a hand to touch her hair (another test to see how soft the small plaits really were).

When her laughter finally subsided, Nia lifted her head to look at Spock as he fingered the braids falling from the clip at the nape of her neck.

"Well," she said, tone dry. "That was a mood breaker."

"Indeed." He said. Spock's hand dropped to his side as she stepped away from him. "I should return to my quarters."

She nodded. "Ok."

He lifted the book of Tennyson poems from the table, but before he could leave Nia grabbed his wrist again.

"Wait," she said and leaned close.

Whatever he had expected her to do, leaning close to press her cheek flush with his was not it.

He inhaled sharply as she pulled away, dragging the edge of her lips along his jaw until the corner of her mouth brushed his. The entire time, her affection was the foremost of her emotions presented across the renewed connection.

Pulling back, she smiled up at him. "Goodnight, Spock." She said.

"Goodnight, Nia." He replied.

After he left, the door shut behind him, Nia settled down on the couch to wait for Wena to return. While she waited, the loose braid found its way into her hands once again.

It wasn't until after he'd left that Spock realized something. When she grabbed his wrist a second time, the empathic connection had not been re-established. When she had touched her face to his, that's when she had reconnected to him.

He glanced back briefly in the direction of her quarters. "Fascinating." Spock said quietly.

* * *

A/N: Who is looking forward to the next chapter?

Thank you to **MaGiCaL MoOn **and **SerenityAngels ** for reviewing. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it.

Also, thank you to those who are following and/or added this story to their favorites. I'm so glad people are enjoying this.


	24. Chapter 23

**Thank you to TheWindowView for putting up with and correcting all my awkward sentences and random tense changes. I know, I know - it wouldn't happen if I didn't keep writing ehn I should be sleeping. **

**Did I mention that these characters have a mind of their own? They insist on doing their own thing. I'm just the writer, who am I to tell them otherwise? This chapter contains a little more detail on typical Paladian customs. **

**Anyways, please read and enjoy!**

Like he usually does, McCoy was regretting making a stop at the medbay instead of going directly to his quarters. Though, this time the reason wasn't because of an injured engineer.

This time, the source of his regret was the half-Paladian doctor rummaging through the drawers of the medbay with one hand while holding an ice pack to the left side of her face with the other.

Approaching her, McCoy cleared his throat the let her know he was there.

With a squeal, she bolted upright and laid a hand on her chest when she realized who it was.

"Don't do that!" She snapped.

He smirked at her, then gestured to her face. "You alright?"

Wena turned a deep red. "I'm fine." She told him. She looked at the open drawer, bit her lip, and then looked back at McCoy. "Actually, if you could point me in the direction of your bruise cream, I'd be grateful."

His eyebrows rose. "Bruise?" Sighing, he gestured at the bed behind her and said "Sit down, I'll be right back."

Glancing at the bed, Wena figured out his intentions. "What? Oh no. No, I can treat myself!" She hissed at retreating form. Her words were slightly muffled by the ice pack covering half her face and she didn't want to wake any of the sleeping patients.

McCoy heard her and grumbled something about doctors making the worst patients. "Don't be a child. Sit down."

"McCoy, I do have a license to practice medicine." She told him. "I am capable of treating myself."

McCoy just glared at her and with a roll of her eyes, she sat down on the edge of the empty bed. This was not going to end well.

McCoy knew she could very well take care of herself and was clearly willing to do so, but his gut was twisted and he wanted to check out that bruise for himself.

After retrieving the supplies he needed, he returned to where she was impatiently waiting. Gently, he pulled the ice pack from her face and stared at her. A purple line about an inch wide had formed down the left side of her face, starting just above her eyebrow and ending in a point just above her jaw line. If he had to guess, it looked like she hit a corner with her face… or someone else did it for her. He thought of her behavior when she first arrived, the blatant mistrust of him and what he now believed to be secretive behavior when she attempted to keep the bruise from him.

"So," he near growled. "You want to tell me who did this?" Subtlety was not his forte.

Wena stared at the man. "Who?" She started and then let out and exasperated sigh. "Oh my gosh, just give the medication and we'll be done with it."

"If someone –"

She glared at him. "Thanks for the concern, but no thanks. Trust me, this is just a product of being clumsy." It was worse than she could have imagined. Here she thought she was just going to get mocked. That she could handle, but this gruff concern over what was clearly a misunderstanding? That threw her for a loop.

"Explain." He didn't bother to request the information.

Wena blushed again. "I was trying to turn around quickly and forgot how close the doorway was behind me." At McCoy's disbelieving look, she sighed. "Fine, if you must know I had just walked in on a very awkward situation with my roommate and I was trying to get out of there as quick as possible."

McCoy stared at her. "Your roommate?"

Shrugging, Wena tried to answer the question without telling him too much. "Yeah, she was a little busy."

"Busy? Busy with what?" The light bulb clicked on and he winced. "Dammit woman, I don't want to know that green blooded hobgoblin is getting lucky."

She gaped at him. "Jumping to conclusions much? Man, if I'd walked in on _that _I'm pretty sure I would have broken something trying to get out of there." She huffed. "Besides, that's not how Paladians do things. They were just kissing. Or almost." Wena shifted uncomfortably. "I think I killed the moment."

"I wouldn't bet you didn't." He told her. Since the tricorder revealed there were no broken bones, McCoy began to work on clearing up the bruise. "What did you mean by 'that's not how Paladians do things'?"

"I mean sex." Wena was distracted by the hands on her face.

"Don't play me for a fool." He snapped at her. "I know Paladians have sex."

Wena narrowed her eyes at him. "I mean sex before marriage."

He seemed interested. "So they're chaste?"

"Sorta." Wena said. "Most Paladians don't even consider premarital sex to be an option. It doesn't make sense to them."

McCoy stepped away from her, tending her bruise complete. "Why? Is it religious?"

"Maybe more spiritual." Wena concluded. "It's really difficult to explain."

"So try."

Wena rolled her eyes. She decided to try a different tactic. "Do you know that on Palad, if a man cheats on his wife, he is considered dishonorable and unfitting of the title 'man'?"

"And what if a woman cheats on her husband?"

"She is usually shunned by at least the female members of her society, if not everyone."

McCoy leaned against the bed next to Wena and whistled lowly. "Damn."

"Yeah." Wena said. "Fidelity is a big deal to Paladians and is considered even before marriage." There was more to it than that, but Wena really wasn't sure how to explain the rest.

"So, how does this whole touch-empathy with Paladians work?" The CMO had noticed that there didn't seem to be anything happening where the bare skin of his hands had touched the half-Paladian's face.

"Oh that's a fun topic." Wena said. "I can show you first hand, if you would like." She grinned at him.

"Oh boy." He said and with a sigh of resignation, he held out a hand.

She looked at the hand, then shook her head. "Actually, I'll explain it to you another time. It's getting pretty late."

McCoy checked the time and swore. "Yeah, you're right." He paused as he got up to leave. "You know, this was almost civil."

Wena snorted. "Don't make me barf."

The two left the medbay in short time, and Wena made her way back to her quarters, relieved to find the door shut this time. A clear indicator that Nia was in fact alone.

Sure enough, when Wena stepped inside she found Nia asleep on the couch in the small sitting area. Smiling softly, Wena carefully shook her friend and guided the groggy female to her bed. Nia was once again asleep before her head hit the pillow and Wena doubted her friend would remember moving when she woke up.

Quietly, Wena quickly changed for bed. She only hesitated when pulling off her shoes. She fingered the little compartment she had in the sole before swiftly tucking the shoes away.

In little time, both women were curled under their covers and asleep.

***  
Since the rescue of the Paladians, the mess hall had often been crowded. Despite this, Nia had not often eaten with other Paladians besides Wena. She'd spent time with them outside of the lab, from chasing Jacek down, to spending time with Grego, to entertaining Layla. Slowly, but surely Nia was making her way around to the majority of the Paladian settlers.

On this day, however, the usual trio was joined by an interesting guest.

Nia had been mid-sentence when she'd felt the tugging on her shirt sleeve. Turning her head, Nia looked down in surprise at the little girl staring up at her.

Nia smiled. "Niki," she said. "_How are you_?"

"_I am well. May I eat with you?" _

Surprised at how polite she was, Nia told Niki yes.

Wena snickered when the small head appeared over the edge of the table when the child climbed up into Nia's lap. She could tell that Nia had not been expecting the girl to do that, but pushed her chair back anyway to give the girl some room.

A small bowl of sweet fruit appeared next to Nia's lunch and little fingers dug in to pull out choice bits. Small smacking noises could be heard as the fruit slowly disappeared.

Spock eyed the child with interest. This was a Paladian female approximately five or six years of age. Her hair was a pale grey, as opposed to Nia's stark white and the pink hue to her skin was more pronounced. Spock supposed the differences in coloring could have been due to her age or allelic variation of the genes controlling the feature. It would be similar to the extensive variations in human coloring.

To him, the child was an oddity. The child behaved as if Nia was a close family member and highly trusted, but Nia's tone of voice indicated that Niki was not. Also, Vulcan children were not coddled in such a manner. A proper seat was available for the child.

Also, he did not understand Nia's ease in handling the child and having her in such a close position. If the child were biologically hers, the maternal instinct would easily explain such actions. He'd experienced a human mother's maternal instinct, to a somewhat limited extent.

Wena was amused watching Spock stare at the child as if Niki were a puzzle. Wena had seen the child previously, knew the family she was from, and knew she was prone to form bonds with almost strangers. Her mother often had fits about it, but there was little she could do to discourage the child.

Amusement turned into near laughter when Niki looked up at Spock and scrutinized _him._

With a frown Niki looked at Nia, then back at Spock, as if comparing the two. Then Niki asked Spock a question.

Spock realized it had become important for him to learn the Paladian language.

Seeing his plight, Nia translated. "She wants to know why you are green."

"I see." He said and waited for Nia to explain the matter to the child. However, Nia and Niki both continued to stare at him as if expecting him to answer the question. "I do not speak her language." He confused by the necessity to pointing out such an obvious fact.

Nia's answering smile was soft. "I know. She would still like to hear you answer her anyways."

With one eyebrow raised Spock proceeded to do so. He addressed Niki directly when doing so. "My skin tone has a green hue due to the copper in my blood." He waited patiently for Nia to translate.

During Nia's translations were the only times that Niki looked away from him. She always addressed her questions to Spock and listened to his answers even when she couldn't understand him.

It was during the question and answer session that Kirk showed up and sat down next to Wena, across from Spock. The captain smirked at the sight of the small child in Nia's lap and didn't dare interrupt the interplay between the little girl and the Vulcan.

Jacek also soon appeared, pulling up a chair to sit beside Nia, in between the Paladian and half-Paladian women. Wena leaned forward to crack a joke at Jacek's expense just in time to catch the near violent glare the man sent in Kirk's direction.

Snapping her mouth shut, Wena leaned back, shocked at the hostility that showed on her friend's face. Jacek was not the type to be disrespectful to authority, so the captain must have done something big to get under Jacek's skin. Maybe something to do with Grego; the brothers were fiercely loyal.

Whether Kirk noticed the hard stare or not, he acted the same.

Nia definitely noticed and kicked Jacek hard under the table. Niki giggled and Spock was about to inquire about the action when Nia shook her head. Wisely, Spock decided to answer Niki's most recent question instead.

Eventually, Niki ran out of questions and lunch and decided to leave the table.

As the girl ran away to join her mother, Wena gushed "That was adorable."

"I know." Nia said. "And she's so polite too. Her mother has really taught her well."

Wena nodded. "She better watch out when Niki gets older though. She's already got her father's good looks."

Nia chuckled. "Yeah, she'll be bringing home trouble when she gets older."

With a smirk, Kirk added "I'm sure her father will love that, if he's anything like human fathers."

The silence that fell on the table and the renewing of the glare from Jacek told Kirk that he said something wrong. It only took a second for him to catch on, having heard the same kind of silence before. "He's dead, isn't he?"

"Just after Niki was born. His heart, well it," Nia tried to remember the right medical term.

Wena spoke up for her. "He had the Paladian form of a heart attack, though it's really not much different than what Humans go through."

"That is unfortunate." Spock said.

"It is," Nia agreed. "I think that's why she took such a liking to you. Because of not having a father figure, I mean."

Wena added "Or any males in her life, really."

"You do not believe it is because I am of a species she has never met?" Spock asked. It seemed a more logical explanation.

Wena made a noise of disagreement. "That might have been part of it, but Niki definitely wanted _your_ attention, Spock. There are other males at this table, and she never gave them a second glance. And, Niki was not near as curious about the female Andorian she met this morning."

"Exactly." Nia said. "That's why I translated your answers instead of answering her questions myself. If your attention didn't matter as much she would have asked me her questions once it became clear she'd only understand what I told her."

Kirk snorted. "I think you might be reading too much into it. She can't have been older than five or six years at the most?"

"But you are forgetting how much of body language and nonverbal communication is learned at a very early age." Wena lifted a hand and gestured at Spock. "If he had refused to give Niki any attention, she would have felt that rejection. Granted," She decided to throw Kirk a bone "she probably wouldn't have understood it and could have easily acted out in a variety of ways, but the she still would have felt it and recognized it."

"You know, the learned part of body language," Nia spoke up "is very important for the parent. After all, a large part of teaching our children how to behave is by behaving in the manner we desire for them to do so."

"Spock, do Vulcan parents act differently around their children than they would in a different situation?" Wena asked.

"They do not." Spock answered, understanding the point behind the doctor's question.

"In reality there's too much effort involved in behaving differently. Even if you start off behaving differently, you get tired of it. Now of course, you _treat_ a child differently because you have to teach them." Wean turned back to Kirk. "If you get down on a child's level when speaking with them or playing with them, you teach them it's ok to interact with adults."

It was around this time Kirk realized just what kind of topic he had stumbled on to. "Wow, you two are really passionate about this."

Nia shrugged. "I suppose you can blame that on the maternal instinct. It can be pretty strong in some females."

"Including yourself?"

Nia cleared her throat. "Possibly. I don't have any experience to really know otherwise."

Briefly, Kirk wondered how he was going to skate around that minefield. He tried to go for the obvious compliment, or else Spock might kill him. "I'm sure you'd make a great mother." He told her and she blushed. "You sure understood Niki better than I ever would have."

Nia's blush deepened as Jacek snapped "That's not hard to do."

This time it was Wena who kicked him as the table stared at him in shock.

"_What is wrong with you?"_ Nia hissed. "_If you cannot be nice you can sit elsewhere." _

Instead of chaffing under being spoken to like a child, Jacek just rolled his eyes and shoveled a large amount of food into his mouth in response.

Nia grimaced when he couldn't close his mouth and turned back to her more mature tablemates.

"Say," Nia gained the attention of both Kirk and Spock. "Do either of you know of anyone who would be willing to start sparring with me?"

* * *

A/N: Not a very eventful chapter, but Niki insisted on making an appearance. I'll be sure to have the next chapter out quickly :D

Thank you, thank you to **SerenityAngels, TheWindowView, Saavikam69, little. ona, **and **skye. maiden****13 **for reviewing. Also, thank you to everyone who has decide to follow and/or favorite this story. I love hearing from you all, and am glad so many are enjoying this.


	25. Chapter 24

**Many thanks to my awesome beta! **

**Here's the next chapter, mostly a continuation of events from the previous chapter. :) **

**Please, read and enjoy! All comments and opinions are welcome. **

"Are your fights with Sulu no longer satisfactory?" Spock asked.

Nia's grin was a tad too smug. "I'm wearing him out." She told Spock proudly. "As long as I keep getting back up, I'm able to eventually force him to yield."

"I was the assistant combat instructor at the academy." Kirk offered. Jacek started glaring at him again.

Nia shrugged. "I'd probably have to spar with Sulu then with you in order to get a work out, though. Seems my endurance has dramatically increased with the harder sparring sessions."

"Vulcans also have higher endurance, and I often find myself lacking a challenging sparring partner. If it is satisfactory, I will spar with you." Spock alternatively offered.

"Now I like that idea." Nia said. "Though I may not be very challenging." Her eyes lit up with an idea. "Will you teach me a Vulcan martial art?"

"I will." Spock answered. As a Paladian, Nia possessed the strength and agility needed to best utilize such a skill.

Wena had a rueful smile on her lips as she watched the interaction. "You've really gotten into this, haven't you?" Wena asked Nia.

"What do you mean?" Nia looked surprised.

"Well, you've gone beyond standard self- defense to wanting to learn a Vulcan martial art. Knowing you, I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

Both women were aware of the double meaning to Wena's last statement, but Kirk was blissfully ignorant.

"So you started with standard self- defense classes?" The captain asked.

Nodding, Nia told him "I did. I didn't stay there for long, though."

That tweaked his curiosity. "Why?"

"I was pretty angry and very determined, so my instructor signed me up for a more challenging class." Nia told him. She had been very, very angry at the time she signed up for the classes and she really made the other women in the class uncomfortable. Once she started being truly challenged, the anger wore off as Nia ran out of steam.

"The change appears to have been advantageous." Spock said.

"It was," Nia agreed. "And it was more of what I was wanting, anyways."

Her statement seemed odd to Spock. "If you were interested in the more aggressive ways of fighting, why did you start in self-defense classes?" Spock was curious.

"Self-defense was a good place to start and really was the most basic goal of what I was trying to do." She tried to explain it, but knew she wasn't doing justice. "Maybe I should just start from the beginning."

Wena's rueful smile had long turned sorrowful and she looked at the table as Nia gave her response.

"I started fighting a little under two years ago."

Spock tilted his head as he looked at her. "Such an occurrence correlates with your husband's death."

"It doesn't just correlate, it's a direct causation." Nia responded.

Kirk had a feeling he knew where the conversation was going. "How did he die?" He asked softly.

"Well," Nia cleared her throat. "In short, he was eaten."

At any other time, Wena would have laughed at the competing heights the men's eyebrows reached.

"Eaten?" Kirk asked, horrified.

Spock rattled off the name of a planet. Nia gave him a surprised look. "I was not aware the man involved in that incident was your husband."

"What happened?" Kirk was appalled. While dangers were not unheard of for Starfleet personnel, getting eaten was a particularly hard one to bear. He remembered the fear on Delta Vega.

"While investigating plant life and collecting soil samples on a previously uncharted planet, my husband was captured by a tribe of humanoids." She cleared her throat again, stomach turning from the thought of what happened. "It was their custom to eat their enemies."

Silence reigned at the table for a few moments before Spock spoke.

"This is what drove you to learn to fight." Spock concluded.

Nia nodded in confirmation. "It is. I was quite angry and when I learned I would be taking over Henry's work, I decided such a thing would not happen to me. Not if I could help it."

Not entirely understanding her mindset, Kirk said "I'm sure your husband didn't try to get killed."

"Henry wasn't suicidal, no." Wena responded. "But he was a man of science. He'd be intimidating in a battle of wits and little else."

"A typical mindset for humans focused in science." Spock concluded.

"He was a good man." Jacek spoke up again, but this time his statement was directed to the table, his eyes downcast with grief.

Once again, the table fell silent. Kirk was a little worried how this conversation was going to affect his first officer, and so he looked at Spock to see how the Vulcan was handling it.

It was only because he was watching Spock for any reaction that Kirk noticed the fleeting brush of Nia's fingers against Spock's wrist. The gesture was so quick; the moment was over before Kirk had even registered what happened.

Glancing around the table, Kirk didn't think the others saw the interaction. That, or it was a Paladian thing that needn't be brought to attention. Either way, Kirk decided against calling the pair out on the small intimacy. For now, at least.

Shortly after the conversation ended, it was time for the meal to end and for each individual to get back to work.

Nia took the time to bid Spock and the captain a good day, and to give Jacek her best 'behave' look. When the two women left the mess hall, Nia was prepared to head to her lab alone. She was surprised though, when Wena followed her.

"You mind?" the younger woman asked. "I'm just curious as to what you've been up to when not flirting with the commander."

Playfully, Nia swatted at her friend and the two headed for the labs. On the way there, Nia noticed Wena fidgeting some, but didn't think much of it.

"Do you know what Jacek was upset for?" Nia asked.

Wena shook her head. "No, I really don't. All I can think is that the captain must have done something, but I really don't know what."

"Odd." Nia said. "I suppose we will find out eventually."

"More than likely. Think we should warn the captain?" Wena asked playfully.

Nia looked at her, suddenly worried. "Do you think Kirk is in danger?"

Wena chewed her lip. "Nah." She eventually said and looked at Nia.

The two women came into agreement. "Nah." They both repeated.

Nia settled down into a stool situated by the center island of her lab. "So, what do you want to know?"

Lifting her hands in a shrug, Wena said "I don't know, find anything cool lately."

"Nothing you would find cool. Except there was a new species of carnivorous fungus found."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, come here. I have a sample, let me feed it and you can look at it under the microscope."

Wena was confused. "Isn't it too big to look at under a microscope?"

"Wrong type of microscope. I have a light microscope and a dissecting microscope. You'll use the dissecting." She showed Wena the larger contraption with significant amount of space between the objective and the sample plate.

"Oh, ok." Wena said and she looked through the eye piece, adjusting the focus as necessary. "Oh that's creepy. It looks like that noose fungus you showed me on Earth, right?"

"Yeah, I thought you might appreciate the similarities between the two." Nia smiled.

Wena smiled, but this time it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Can you use it? On Palad?"

Nia shook her head regretfully. "No, unfortunately. The composition of Palad's soils is incompatible with the necessary environment for this particular organism." She leaned back against the counter, arms crossed. "Maybe after a little genetic modification we would have something viable, but it would take time to work out all the kinks that come with any kind of GM."

"Time?" Wena asked. "How much time?"

"Enough to make me glad that the problem on Palad isn't more severe." Nia told her.

"More severe? It can't get much more severe, our crops are failing." Wena stared at her friend.

Sensing her friend's upset, Nia said "Yes, but not at a high enough rate to warrant greater concern."

"Well, I suppose when you have a whole team of scientists working on this back on Earth, it doesn't seem to be that big of a problem. You guys must be real close to figuring this thing out." Wena tried to calm herself.

Nia was baffled. "Um actually, this fungus is the closest thing I've got to an answer. And, I don't really have a team. There is another scientist working on this on Earth, but I'm the primary on this end." She tilted her head to the side. "Is the group on Palad not coming through?"

"What group on Palad? There are a couple guys treating it like a side project, but I figured they'd signed the whole turf off to you." Wena had no idea what she was talking about. "And there are only two scientists working on this? How?"

"I was informed that there was a team working on Palad to solve the problem with the crops. And to answer your second and third question," Nia sighed "I guess Starfleet doesn't put a high priority on a problem that will only be a problem in fifty years."

"Fifty years?" Wena choked on the words. "Fi-fifty years? How told you that? How can you think that?"

"That's what all the data I've been receiving indicates and even Henri agreed before he died. I have received no information that would change that." It finally clicked for Nia. "Why? What have you heard?" Her heart was pounding hard.

"Nia, the guys treating it like a side project? They released a report that our planet will have to be evacuated in _five_ years."

Nia couldn't move for several seconds. "What?"

"That's why there's been so many settlers leaving now. It's a volunteer basis, but if we reduce the native population enough, then we might be able to prevent an all-out disaster in the future."

By the time her friend was finished speaking, Nia was barely listening. Her vision turned hazy and bright pink spots flared in front of her eyes. _Five years…_

When she hit the floor, everything went blissfully black.

Coming to wasn't easy, but it also wasn't a choice when the noxious fumes filled her nose. Wincing Nia lifted a hand to bat away the source and came into contact with a hand instead.

Blearily, Nia opened her eyes to look up into the face of Dr. McCoy. She groaned and shut her eyes.

The man snorted. "Clearly Paladians have no appreciation for handsomeness."

A female in the room chuckled. "Handsome? I think we're just lucky she didn't have a heart attack from fright."

"Indeed, consciousness should not be greeted with the visage of one such as Dr. McCoy."

"Watch it, you green blooded hobgoblin."

Realizing she was not in her own bed, Nia opened her eyes to find she was in the medbay. Lifting a hand, she rubbed her head. "How did I get here?" She asked. Her head felt a little fuzzy and she couldn't quite remember what she had just been doing.

"You fainted." McCoy informed her.

"When?" She asked. Her body clock was off and she couldn't tell how long she was out.

This time it was Wena who answered. "We were in the labs. You've only been out for twenty minutes at the most."

"Do you recall what you were last doing?" Spock was standing at her left shoulder, Wena on the other side of him. McCoy was one her right.

Focusing on his question, Nia slowly shook her head. "Not really. I remember walking to the labs with Wena and then we were talking about… about fungus and using for Palad, and then-" the memory near clicked into place and Nia began to hyperventilate. "Five years." She tried to sit up, but Spock put a firm hand against her shoulder.

"Calm yourself." He told her.

Instead she started trembling. "I was supposed to have fifty years. I wasn't wasting time, but there's a big difference between fifty years and five." She looked wildly between the trio around her bed. "Why wasn't I informed? Why was I not given that information?" Nia could feel her heart pounding in her throat.

"Now don't get yourself all worked up. We'll figure that bit out soon enough." McCoy had a hand on her other shoulder.

Nia tried to make herself relax. Looking over at Wena, she caught a flash of something across her friend's face, something she couldn't decipher with her panic hazed mind. It gone just as quick as Nia saw it and the Paladian pushed it to the back of her mind.

"What else don't I know?" Nia asked her.

"You tell me." Wena responded. "This situation has really gone to the dogs."

Spock looked at Wena with one eyebrow raised. "That statement is illogical. Canines have no involvement in this situation and there are none native to Palad."

Nia let out a hysterical chuckled and put a hand over her face.

Ignoring the Vulcan, Wena said "Nia, the captain already knows about what happened. He said he would help us figure out what was going on." Her gut twisted at the thought. Things just kept getting worse around every corner.

Closing her eyes, Nia forced herself to gain control. It wouldn't do to panic and completely loose her mind. The captain was going to help. That was a greater comfort than being told Starfleet was going to help. Nia had been fed that line before, and look where it got her.

Spock watched as Nia appeared to struggle with her emotions. Then, slowly, her breathing evened out and heart rate slowed until it settled just above the Paladian norm, still lower than even human heart rates. He dropped his hand from her shoulder.

Finally, Nia reopened her eyes and asked McCoy "How long do you need me to stay here?"

"Your vitals are good, but I'd like you to stay under observation a little while longer. You're lucky you didn't hit your head on anything on the way down." The Southern doctor's voice was gruff, but not offensive. Not to Nia at least. He seemed to be annoyed with Wena though and was just bidding his time.

As soon as Nia had that thought, the doctor grabbed the other doctor and Nia watched as her friend was ushered out of the medbay and into McCoy's office.

Spock stayed next to her, silent, and Nia was beginning to chafe under the scrutiny. "I am not made of glass, Spock."

"I was not aware such a thing was possible." He responded.

Nia looked up at him, frowned, and then giggled when he raised an eyebrow at her expression. Slowly, she sat up. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she rested her forehead against Spock's upper arm.

Spock went still, not knowing what she expected of him. If she desired an embrace, she was not in the optimal position for one, nor was he inclined to do so in such a public area.

After a couple moments where neither of them moved, nor had she requested anything from him, Spock relaxed.

Sighing, Nia leaned back. She was uncertain if he was uncomfortable with public displays of affection or if he thought she was. As it went, Nia was the one who usually initiated the contact between them. If there were others around she kept it secret to keep Spock from feeling uncomfortable.

This time though, this time she wanted a little more than finger tips against his wrist. So she'd rested her head against his arm, not expecting or wanting anymore from him and just enjoyed his natural scent mixing with the cleanliness of his shirt.

She smiled up at him. "Sorry for pulling you away from your work. I am not pleased with my reaction to Wena's news."

His response was not one she expected. "One might say you overreacted to such information. Another might say you underreacted. Either is unimportant." She looked up at him in surprise as he continued speaking. "What is important is how you handle the information from here on out. Unconsciousness is not beneficial to aiding your people."

"You're right, Spock. Thank you."

"Thanks are unnecessary and I knew prior to your saying so that my statement was correct."

Her smile grew.

* * *

A/N: Oh boy. So things were much, much worse than they seemed.

Thank you to **SerenityAngels **and **skye. maiden13 **for reviewing! So glad to hear Niki was liked.

Also, thank you to those who are following and/or favorited this story!


	26. Chapter 25

**Many thanks to my wonderful beta, TheWindowView. **

**Took me too long to get the next chapter done, but I wanted to post this before I go traveling for the next few days with limited access to a computer. Where I'm going it will be hot and dry, just like a certain home planet of a character we all love. Or I'm assuming we all love, since if you're reading this... **

**Anyways, please read and enjoy! All comments are welcome!**

In the captain's ready room, Nia paced.

Kirk watched her warily, while Spock just watched her.

Wena finally arrived and settled sown in a seat almost immediately. She eyed the pacing woman. "Sorry you had to wait; Layla is more comfortable with females than males right now." The pregnant Paladian had flat out refused to let McCoy touch her or perform any kind of examination so the man had grudgingly requested Wena's help while Nia was still recovering from fainting.

When the doctor had returned to reexamine Nia, the Paladian scientist couldn't help but laugh at the smug look on her friend's face as she left McCoy's side.

When McCoy had finished his final check, Spock had taken Nia first to her lab, then to the captain's ready room. Kirk had arrived in very little time, and the trio had only been waiting for a few minutes when Wean showed up.

Nia tentatively sat down next to her friend as Kirk cleared his throat, a clear indication he wished to begin.

"Now Dr. Verde," He started with Wena. "I have been informed that you might be in possession of vital information on the situation with the Paladians?"

"I don't know about vital," She answered "but I have some information. Mainly what was released to the general public."

Kirk prompted her "Which is? Specifically?"

"Specifically?" Wena snorted. "They didn't give us specifics. We were told that the Palad-side team conducted a study that concluded that the effects of the parasite were expanding exponentially. A huge amount of our crops were degrading and NiPila was opened for settling."

"NiPila wasn't open previously?"

Nia answered this question. "No, it was still being charted and had only a few small colonies for research purposes." Sensing Kirk's next question, Nia continued speaking "I had heard about NiPila being opened, but I wasn't given the reason. I assumed it was a decision over my, um, 'pay-grade'."

Spock addressed Wena. "Is the colonizing of NiPila the only current answer for Palad's citizens?"

The half-Paladian nodded. "It is. It's volunteer basis, with minimal compensation for what those who leave everything behind. The owners of the farms that have already been irreparably damaged were the first to leave, and those areas quarantined on the recommendation of a few entomologists."

Kirk sighed. "And you were given different information than the scientists working on Palad?" He asked Nia.

She shrugged and stood up again. "Apparently, though without comparing my data" she gestured to her tablet currently sitting on Kirk's desk "with theirs, it is impossible to know for sure." Frustrated, Nia ran a hand roughly through her hair as she continued to pace. "All the information I have was sent to me through Starfleet channels. There should still be official record of the documentation I've received."

Kirk nodded. "I'll be checking in on that. It'll be good to have the evidence in our possession, or at least confirmation that it exists."

"What other news is there from Palad?" Spock inquired.

Wena huffed. "Don't look at me. I haven't been on the surface in two months and obviously the reports being sent to the rest of the Federation are incorrect. Any news I might have heard since I left would be the same."

"Yeah," Nia scoffed "and we all know that I didn't have access to even half of the data Starfleet had on the research taking place on other planets until I boarded the _Enterprise_." Something that probably had to do with her crew and not denying the prestigious flagship anything her crew wanted.

When Spock's attention turned to the captain, the blond man nodded. "Something else I'll be looking into. Anything else needing to be brought to my attention?" He asked.

Wena held her breath as she chewed her lip and Nia frowned.

"At this point, I just want to know why such important information was withheld from me, and if anyone in Starfleet or on Palad was behind it. I want to know why, if Starfleet knows this was such a dire situation, that there are only two scientists working on this problem. I want to know why Palad didn't have more people working on this." The steam seemed to rush out of her. "None of this makes any sense."

"No," Wena agreed. "It doesn't."

It was then Kirk decided to level with the two women on how the process was going to work. They deserved that much at least. "Now, don't take offense to this, but both of your claims are going to have to be thoroughly checked out. I'm not saying either of you are lying, but we want to prevent someone else from claiming that. Besides," this smirk was more rueful than any other Nia had seen "I'm sure we are all secretly wishing for Dr. Verde to be mistaken."

"Not secretly." Both Nia and Wena spoke. They shared a quick glance between them, before turning their attention back to the captain.

No one mentioned the fact that it could be just that Nia had made a mistake. One that was dearly costing her planet.

The women were shortly dismissed with vague assurances that everything would be taken care of.

Still in the ready room, Spock stared at his commanding officer. "Captain, I saw no reason to lie. Why did you do so?"

Kirk frowned. "When did I lie?"

"You told the women that a satisfactory solution would be reached. The chances of doing so-"

"Spock, don't. I already know." Kirk interrupted him. "The chances of this development ending well are slim. Telling them that would not help anything." He stood to look out the window for a moment, as if to find hope in the stars. "Paladians are illogical beings. As such, they know I lied, but are willingly to accept that lie. For now."

"To do such a thing does not make sense. One cannot change the truth; it is illogical to willingly believe a lie." Spock argued.

Not knowing how else to respond, Kirk shrugged. "What can I tell you, Spock? It feels better."

Quietly, Spock disagreed with the use of feeling in such a situation.

"Besides," Kirk said "I don't believe it was really a lie. We're going to figure this out. Right, Spock?"

In her quarters, Nia paced.

Sitting on her bed, Wena watched her friend pace. "Can you please sit down? I can't relax with you all wound up like this."

Nia winced. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a bother." She grabbed book and tried to force herself to settle down. Her foot started bouncing. "I'm just going to-"

The comm system for her quarters came to life with a rather agitated Dr. McCoy. "Medical Bay to Verde."

Wena jumped up from the bed. "Verde here. What do you need, McCoy?"

"Layla's here. I could use your… experience."

Wena grinned. "I think you mean expertise." She could hear him snort. "One pregnant Paladian tamer on the way." Frowning, Wena paused as she rethought her statement. "As in she's the pregnant one to be tamed, not me. Since you know, that could be taken the wrong way and I'm not pregnant. Not that I have anything against-"

"Verde, if you don't stop talking and get your ass down here…" He let the threat hang.

"Sorry, on my way."

Turning around to leave, Wena caught the look on Nia's face. "Not a word."

Nia struggled to maintain a straight face. "I didn't say anything."

Wena scoffed. "Since when do you have to?" With a quick goodbye, the brunette grabbed and put her shoes on and ducked out the door.

Nia just shook her head as she left, and went back to reading. Or tried to. Her mind kept wandering from what she was reading to the conversation earlier. The last statement from the captain bothered her. Was he just trying to give her hope, in a hopeless situation? The captain was famous for not believing in 'no-win' scenarios. He was also a Starfleet captain. Did he know something she didn't?

As more question spun through her head, Nia was also rational minded enough to know that her anxieties were beginning to make her irrational. She had no place to judge the captain. None at all and it avoided the real issue. She was failing Palad.

Annoyed, Nia snapped her book shut, set it on the table, and stood. Resuming her pacing, Nia tried to calm down. She'd go to the gym, but at this point she really didn't want to face anyone and explain why she was so agitated.

An hour later, Spock was knocking at the door. He could hear music playing and therefore knew that Nia was inside. Dr. Verde he already knew to be occupied in the medbay.

Unfortunately the music Nia was listening to was loud enough that she must be unable to hear him. Just as he was going to leave, since he could not justify the use of the override code, Wena appeared in the hallway.

Seeing him standing in front of her quarters, Wena slowed down her steps until she was close enough to hear the music. Rolling her eyes, she gave him the pass code before turning around and retreating down the hall the way she came. "Just keep the door open. It's a Paladian thing." She told him just before she disappeared around the corner.

Promptly, Spock used the code and entered Nia's quarters to find her wearing a path in the carpet with her pacing and the flipping of pages was almost frantic as she read.

For a moment, Spock only watched her. He was uncertain how to make his presence known without startling her.

Finally, he decided to outright ask a question. "Who is the artist you are playing?" He asked. "I have not previously heard them."

Nia looked up from her book in surprise, not startled. "Spock," she said with a smile before hurrying to turn down the music. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I inquired as to the name of the artist you are playing."

"Ah." She said, smile widening some. "I'd be surprised if you've ever heard of her. Her name is Loreena McKennitt and she's a 21st century Terran artist."

"21st century? Do you have an interest in the time period?" If he recalled correctly, the time period had produced a significant variety of musical types.

Nia shook her head. "Not the time period, no. Just this style interests me and it can be a little hard to find." She told him. "It's very similar to the majority of the music enjoyed on Palad."

"Then it is a reminder of home."

"Not really." She shook her head. "It's more a reminder of Earth."

Stepping closer, Spock's gaze dropped to the floor. "You are agitated." He stated.

Nia's eyes followed his gaze and she blushed. "So I am."

He stood directly in front of her. "May I suggest a solution?"

_This is a bad idea. Why, oh why did I ever agree to this? _

It had taken Nia barely twenty minutes to change and meet Spock at the sparring mats, and had taken that long for Nia's excitement to wear of and her survival instinct to kick in.

Stretching, Nia watched him. He almost seemed to be meditating before the match. She'd heard of something similar from other, more serious, martial arts instructors that she hadn't fought with for fear of being permanently damaged.

He was dresses in standard Starfleet workout clothes, though Nia was certain that shirt was not as form fitting on Sulu. And those hideous sweats were looking… not so hideous.

Nia felt a little ridiculous standing in front of him with a dark tank and bright purple shorts. Really, she should have thought out her workout outfit better. Not only was Spock going to wipe the floor with her, he was going to look better while doing it.

Because she was watching, she got a great view of exactly how graceful Spock was as he stood. The control and ease of movement with which he moved was something to be respected and it nearly too Nia's breath away.

Again, she wondered if sparring with Spock was such a good idea. It was doubtful that Kirk would have the same control and grace of movement as the man in front of her and she would have the added benefit of superior strength and endurance. With Kirk, she could possibly avoid looking like a fool.

With Spock, she was in trouble.

"Do Vulcan's spar often?" Nia asked curious. She'd heard someone once say that Vulcan's had sworn off all fighting, but to Nia the mere existence of Vulcan martial arts disproved that notion.

"It is a way to maintain physical prowess." Spock said by way of answering.

This first match, Spock was not going to be teaching Nia a martial art. This first fight, they were fighting however they were comfortable.

Spock settled into a universally recognizable fighting stance as Nia stepped into another.

The match was on.

To combat her anxiety, Nia made the first move by lashing out with what would have been a devastating blow had it connected. Her kick missed, but she continued the move with a snap and –

Missed again.

The jab aimed at her solar plexus came way too close for comfort.

In surprise – that was much faster that she was used to with Sulu – Nia looked up at Spock's face.

All too late, Nia realized her mistake when she felt a leg hook behind hers and she was shoved to the mat. Impact knocked the breath out of her, but Nia regained it quickly as she scrambled upright.

As she predicted, Spock was already moving to strike her when she stood up. Nia was forced to employ some fancy footing to dodge him, and nearly lost her balance as she did so.

Finally, she landed a hit on him, but he recovered too quickly for it to be on any use to Nia.

"You are not using your full strength." Spock observed.

Nia winced. "I held back with Sulu. Didn't want to accidentally kill him."

"Logical, but if you ever fighting a true enemy holding back may get you or someone else killed." He told her as her knocked her back to the mat, pinning her with his body. Only a move requiring all her Paladian strength to counter his Vulcan strength would get her out of the position she was in.

She huffed. "Point proven." She grunted as she twisted to try and pull out of his grip.

She achieved little by the effort save to force him to focus his strength on the grip he had on her arms. Nia used this focus to her advantage when he reflexively flinched away from the knee that brushed a rather vulnerable part of his anatomy.

Planting one foot firmly on his thigh, Nia was able to push and knock him off balance enough to get free.

He rolled away from her and leapt lightly to his feet. "I do not know that move."

"Neither did Sulu. It's just me trying to break free by any means necessary."

"A valid concept."

Sometime while the pair was rolling on the ground, Kirk had shown up. For the most part he watched and laughed, rarely he shouted out suggestions to Nia on how to best take Spock down. She usually ignored him, but the times she used his suggestion successfully the captain near danced in glee where he stood. By watching the match so closely, he could see her strengths and weaknesses from an outside perspective, something that might help the Paladian later on.

Another Paladian noticed this and quietly took offense.

Kirk never noticed the set of eyes that watched _him_ closely.

* * *

A/N: Uh oh, any guesses as to who the creeper is? And, don't worry. Nia is _not_ better than Spock at fighting. I hope that was obvious.

Thank you to **SerenityAngels** for reviewing!

Thank you to everyone who has added this story to their alerts and/or favorites!

I'll admit it, I love all the attention!


	27. Chapter 26

**Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView. **

**I am sorry for the long(ish) period between updates. I tried to type up the next chapter as fast as I could, once I got home from the Pacific coast. The upside is, after spending time hiking in a near desert, I can now accurately describe the symptoms of heat exhaustion and totally sympathize with Paladian settlers. Not that I didn't before, but still. **

**Now that I've rambled enough that you've probably skipped ahead to the story, please read and enjoy!**

"Don't worry, Kirk. We're looking into it." Admiral Pike's eyes were reassuring. "I'm looking into it." He stated more firmly. Another disaster was not going to happen again so soon on _his_ watch.

Kirk's shoulders dropped. "I don't know whether to be glad or not that Sargent's_ and_ Verde's claims were true."

Pike snorted lightly. "I know what you mean. It's good that they aren't crazy, but it means something got screwed up in the process of things." He leaned forward. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out. It may take a few days, but it'll get taken care of."

"Thanks, Admiral. I can always count on you." Kirk stated with a small smile.

"Take care, Kirk." Pike told him, just before transmission ended.

Turning away from the screen, Kirk rubbed his face and sighed. Both women's claims had been confirmed. Sargent's data had been retraced and confirmed along the proper pathways, and Verde's news reports were also confirmed. According to Palad, there was only five years until the agricultural system crashed and left Palad unable to support its current population. Hence, the large upswing in colonizing NiPila.

Now, the captain just had to find a way to tell Sargent.

The door opened and his first officer walked in.

"Ah, Spock. Just the man I was looking for." Kirk straightened up in his seat.

The Vulcan in question raised a single eyebrow at him.

"How are things going between you and Dr. Sargent?" Kirk asked.

No sensing the hidden agenda, Spock responded "I am uncertain as to your meaning. Are you meaning to ask how our relationship is progressing?" If only humans would speak with greater clarity.

Smirking, Kirk said "Yes, I am."

"Then, 'things' are progressing well." Spock informed him, though he wasn't sure why the captain was inquiring.

"So you wouldn't mind telling her that the news Dr. Verde gave her is correct according to Paladian officials? And that it was confirmed that the data sent to her is the data that was sent?"

Kirk's smile was… off. Spock wondered if the captain was planning something. "You do not wish to inform her yourself?" Spock shrewdly guessed.

"Not really." If it were possible, the eyebrow rose higher. "It may be better for the information to come from you. Or I can tell her, but I want you to be there."

"As a source of comfort?"

"Yes, in short." Kirk flushed a little bit at Spock's stare. "I know she was upset by the news before, and I really can't give her any good news. Besides," the blond man tried to smirk "the worst that can happen is that you lose a goodnight kiss or two if she's angry."

Both of Spock's eyebrows rose at this.

"You have kissed her, haven't you? You can't say it isn't a Vulcan thing, I saw you and Uhura." Kirk was surprised.

If Spock could have looked sheepish, this would have been one of those times. "My attempt was interrupted."

"Interrupted? How?" Then the light bulb clicked. "When Dr. Verde walked into a doorjamb?"

"Yes, that was the interruption."

"That sucks. You guys haven't had an opportunity since?"

"Captain, I fail to see the significance of this conversation."

"Easy, Mr. Spock. I'm just trying to be a friend, you know?" Kirk snapped his fingers. "Movie night." He pointed at Spock. "Tonight is a movie night in the mess hall. I think a musical is being planned. Something romantic. Ladies _love_ romantic." Kirk told Spock with a wide grin.

For Nia, the day couldn't end soon enough. She'd wrapped a few other tests that she had wanted to get through, and had begun drawing up the genetic profile of the carnivorous fungus. Once she had the full genotype, modifications would soon follow. It was a lengthy process, but one that could be worth it.

_It _will _be worth it. Don't go there now. Not now._ Nia told herself. If she started second-guessing her decisions now she was going to be useless to her people. Her experiments were either important or not important. She needed to decide that now and not waste time.

_Time._ That's something she didn't have nearly enough of.

By the time Michaels contacted the commander to forcibly removed the Paladian from the lab (apparently she was still enforcing her imposed curfew on Nia), Nia was in no shape to argue with Spock or Michaels. And she was incredibly hungry.

It was during the evening meal that Spock gave her the information from the captain. By that time, Spock also had the benefit of telling her that Starfleet reassigned a group of scientists to reform the aid effort for Palad.

"That's good." She said and then shook her head in what appeared to be anger.

"This information does not please you." He stated.

Nia shook her head negatively. "Not really."

"Why?" Spock asked. Knowing her reasoning would help him better gage her reactions in the future.

She sighed. "I receive data from the finding of every exploration vessel in the Federation. I was told that, and yet, it isn't until I am onboard of Starfleet's _glory child_ that I get access to _all_ the data." Her words were strangely clipped by the end of her statement, like she holding back. "I am very mad that this kind of _error _was allowed to be made."

Wisely, Spock just listened to her. He had no solution for her and so did not try to offer her one. The gesture would be meaningless.

Rubbing her face, Nia realized that both Spock and she had stopped eating during their discussion, something her stomach was not happy about. She gestured to the plates and said "Please, keep eating. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to react and take away from the meal."

When her fingers grazed his wrist, he returned the gesture. Feeling the flash of appreciation, Spock looked up to see the brief smile flit across Nia's face.

At some point, Uhura and Jacek had joined the pair for the meal.

"Wena will be here soon," Jacek told Nia gruffly.

Knowingly, Nia asked "Layla?"

Jacek merely snorted in response and then turned his gaze to eye Spock. "I am told you are a man of science."

"That description is correct." Spock replied.

Nia watched Jacek suspiciously. Her cousin was behaving too… politely. It sent up a red flag in her mind.

Across from Nia, Uhura cleared her throat. "So, are you finally going to join us for movie night?"

Nia shrugged. "I'm not usually a fan of the kind of movies usually played at those things."

"You haven't even been to one!"

"Not true, I went to the first one. '_Pirates from Hell_' just wasn't my thing."

Uhura laughed. "Yeah, that one was pretty bad."

"What's playing tonight?" Nia asked. If it was anything good, she just might drag Spock –

"I have been told that a romantic musical will be featured tonight, one that you may enjoy." Spock's voice in the conversation surprised Nia.

Nia smiled at him slyly. "Now who told you I might enjoy it?"

"The captain."

Out of the corner of her eye, Nia saw Jacek's expression grow very dark and he muttered something to himself.

Oh yes. Her cousin was behaving very oddly indeed. According to both McCoy and Wena, Jacek had a clean bill of health so Nia knew it wasn't any remaining 'heat madness'.

With a frown, Nia mentally set aside the event to think about later and turned back to the conversation with Spock.

A rather powerful force hit Nia's side and threw the Paladian's torso forward as she was violently pushed aside in her seat. Spock's firm hand caught her shoulder and kept Nia's head from colliding with the table, his expression nearly baffled as he took in the sight of Nia now sharing a chair with Wena.

"What?" The woman asked innocently. "I was too lazy to grab another chair."

Nia rolled her eyes and Uhura asked Wena if she was going to watch the movie.

"Oh yeah. I've heard pretty good things about tonight's movie. I don't think I've seen it before though." Wena answered.

In the end it was Nia that was convinced to participate in movie night, not Spock. She had a sneaking suspicion he was going to suggest taking part in movie night at some point, and would have done so sooner if she hadn't been upset by his other news.

For movie night, the mess hall was converted into a small theater. Of course, Nia chose a seat next to Spock and sat close enough to feel his body heat. She knew he could definitely feel hers, since her core temperature was significantly higher that his.

About thirty minutes into the movie, Nia started looking around as if searching for something.

Leaning closer to her, Spock softly asks "What do you require?"

"A phaser so I can shoot myself." She replied. Nia almost started giggling when Spock's chin jerked back. He gave her a reaction without a change in expression.

He recovered and spoke again. "I must have misunderstood. What do you require?"

Nia snorted and Wena glared at her. Turning to Spock she whispered "Get me out of here, and we can forget about the phaser." Within moments Nia found her wrist in a dry and firm grasp as she was pulled from her seat and then from the room.

"Thank you so much. I don't know how much more of _Love's Lovely Love_ I can take."

"Then you did not find the movie enjoyable?" Spock asked.

She shook her head no.

"Were you truly intending on attempting to harm yourself, or were you merely being humorous?" If she was being serious, then there was cause for concern.

Nia took one look at his stoic face paired with his somewhat tense body and started laughing. "No, I was just playing around. I wouldn't kill myself over that. Maybe injure or feign illness so I could escape to the medbay, but nothing serious like that."

The imperceptible tension in his shoulder dissolved and Nia's laughter subsided. It was oddly sweet that he took her words so seriously. Nia knew she should probably make an effort to be more literal when she spoke.

She looked at him with a small smile. "Come on." Nia said as she tugged on his sleeve. Taking a step, she turned around and saw that he wasn't following her. "Come on." She said again, this time more insistently and Spock allowed himself to be led back to Nia's quarters.

Once back to her shared room, Nia gestured for Spock to make himself comfortable as she rummaged through her case of books. Grinning mischievously to herself, Nia pulled a memory chip out from between the pages of a book.

When she glanced up and saw the inquisitive tilt to Spock's head, she froze and realized just how odd it was to have a memory chip stored in such a place. "It's a joke between Wena and I." She told him. "We kind of share this movie, so whoever is in possession of it hides it from the other person."

"What movie is it?"

"A _true _Terran classic, _V for Vendetta_." In short time, Nia had the computer screen set up and the pair was settled in to watch the movie. "You are likely to find this movie highly illogical," She warned "but it is one of my favorites. And there is a sense of logic hidden within all the illogic."

"I shall expect nothing less."

Taking that to mean, 'ok play the movie' Nia promptly did so, and resisted the urge to snuggle against the man next to her. Instead, she curled her feet up against her and tilted her body until she was just barely touching him. This way, both she and he were comfortable.

About halfway through the movie, the Paladian felt eyes on her. Looking at Spock, she saw him staring at her. Mocking him, she raised one eyebrow and tilted her head in askance.

"I was not aware it was beneficial to watch the movie with an echo to the dialogue."

Nia's eyes nearly bugged out as a pink flush rose from her neck to her cheeks. Getting caught up into the movie, she had fallen into the habit of quoting the movie that both she and Wena had developed. "Sorry." Nia near squeaked before turning back to face the screen. To prevent any more mishaps, she tucked a small pillow between her chest and knees, and pressed her mouth against it.

Deciding not to comment on the rather childish position of his partner, Spock turned back to the screen to watch the movie.

At the end, Spock found himself unsettled.

Without looking at him, Nia spoke "I've found that this movie offers a rather remarkable insight into the human perspective. Of course, it has changed some in two centuries, and yet the parallels are still present."

"That is what you meant by a hidden sense of logic." He stated.

She agreed with him anyways. "I suppose it is."

"I was under the impression that protagonist of Terran stories lives a happy life following the conclusion." He wanted her thoughts on why this one was different.

Nia's lips twitched in a very faint smile. "You're talking about heroes. Tell me, Spock. How exactly was V a hero? He was a victim, and a villain. He took revenge on those who hurt him. He incited an entire country into rebellion and anarchy. He arranged for the murder of that country's leader when in reality democracy would have called for the Chancellor to be put on trial then executed." Sighing, Nia met Spock's gaze. "No, I don't believe he was a hero. He was a necessary monster, who had no place in the world he desired to liberate."

"I do not follow your logic."

"V was a catalyst for change. Once that change occurred, he was no longer needed. Only the idea, the thought he was trying to invoke in the population was still needed. I think the crowd present at Parliament was a good indicator that he succeeded."

The subtle nod of his chin was an acceptance of his answer. Yet, Nia could tell he was still troubled. She waited for him to speak.

"The protagonist was correct in stating that the citizens were also to blame. I do not question his logic. However, I must question the logic of the citizens in allowing such events to take place. What could possibly be their reasoning?"

The Paladian tilted her head in consideration. "Fear. V said it. The citizens were afraid and allowed that fear to blind them to what was going on. When it didn't blind them, they used it as justification for why they allowed such terrible things to happen." She gestured with one hand as if presenting her point upon it. "Human history has more than one example of this and one of their 'world wars' resulted because of that mentality."

"Humans would greatly benefit from the thorough integration of logic into their society."

Nia shrugged. "They're getting there." Squinting, she glanced at the still rolling credits on the screen and then back at Spock. "I'm surprised you didn't question the logic of the rebellion."

Expression blank, he informed her "'Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable'."

Recognizing the sound of a quote on his lips, she asked "Who said that?"

"A Terran ruler nearly three centuries previous by the name of John Kennedy." Spock answered.

Recognition flickered in Nia's eyes. "Yes, I think I have heard of him. He was an American president, right? One of those who had been assassinated?"

"That is correct."

She nodded and shrugged, not noticing the slight tensing of his arm as her shoulder brushed against it. "It's a good quote." She told him. "And matches how a lot of humanoids think, you know it? How they work, even." Smiling, Nia lightly bumped Spock with her shoulder. "I'm glad Vulcans made it possible. Peaceful revolution, I mean."

"It is indeed fortunate." Left unspoken was just how needed the capability of peaceful revolution was needed. Currently, the Vulcans were near dependent on aid from other planets. Making enemies would not be beneficial to their population numbers.

Sighing, Nia relaxed against the cushions and reached out to delicately touch Spock's hand, despite it being laced with the other in his lap. Lightly, she dragged her finger tips along the back of his hand and across his wrist. Her touch was as light as the connection she initiated between them.

Comforted by what she picked up from him, Nia pulled away. What she didn't expect was for him to reach out and grab her hand as it retreated.

Surprised, Nia didn't reconnect with him and stared at his face instead. Once the surprise had passed, Nia wanted to know what was going on behind his controlled expression. She wanted to know what he was feeling when he reached up to softly brush her hair behind her shoulder, grazing his fingertips against her cheek while doing so.

With the greater physical contact, Nia was unsure how much control she'd have over the bond, what with Vulcan emotions being much stronger than Paladian ones. Fortunately, she found she was still able to start it off slow and gradually let it grow.

As soon as the connection between them had been re-established, the pale eyed Paladian grinned.

As usually happens with a stronger bond, the pair's emotions came into tune and the differences balanced out between them. Still grinning, Nia leaned forward as Spock's fingers caught in her hair.

The first touch was light, almost as light as her fingertips had been against his hand.

Since there was no interruption this time, Spock increased the pressure of the second kiss, pressure which Nia gladly returned as she lifted another hand to gently brush through the smooth, shorter strand of his hair.

This time, when Wena saw the open doorway to Nia and hers quarters, she stopped long before reaching it.

Rolling her eyes, Wena sighed retreated down the hall to one of the rec rooms. It was enough for Wena to know what _wasn't_ going on in that room. She didn't care to know what _was_.

Maybe she could get someone to play her in a game of 'Go Fish'.

* * *

A/N: A little bit of mystery, a little bit of sweetness, and a little bit more of humor. Sorry to those who haven't seen _V. _It's amazing and yes I had to watch it after writing about it.

Thank you, thank you to **SerenityAngels **and **ilovemedia18** for your reviews. I really appreciate hearing your opinions.

Thank you to those who had decided to follow this story and/or added it to their favorites list. :)


	28. Chapter 27

**Oh my gosh, the new semester is about to start. Four classes, all science means four labs. This is goignt o be so interesting. I must be a nerd, cuz I'm kinda excited. **

**Many thanks to my beta! Even when she accidentally holds my edited chapters hostage. **

**Finally, here is another chapter! Read and enjoy!**

Nia gasped as the jab caught her hard under her ribs.

Spock definitely wasn't holding back.

_Well, that's one way to convince me to use my whole strength._

Squealing, she ducked beneath the next blow. Nia took a few hasty steps back before launching into a kick her sparring partner barely avoided.

Across the room, Kirk was watching again. This time he was baffled by the mirth that was clearly bubbling inside the Paladian woman. She was having fun getting beat up by a Vulcan.

Just as Kirk was shaking his head, he heard a voice speak up from behind him.

"She's quite a sight, isn't she?"

Kirk turned to see Ensign Harris standing just behind him. The captain turned back to watch the fighting pair. "Yes, I suppose she is. You watch her spar often?"

"Oh yeah. Watching her get knocked around by Sulu was hilarious." Harris grinned. "It got even better when she started giving the man a run for his money. Now, she's moved up to Spock." The grin twisted a little and Harris seemed to forget who he was talking to. "Personally, I'm thinking she's into pain, if you know what I mean."

Oh, how Kirk wished he didn't. Straightening his shoulders and his stance, the blond man turned his body slightly in the ensign's direction.

The posture was lost on Harris, since the man's eyes had left the fighting Paladian on the mats.

"Oh yeah?" Kirk asked, wondering just how long it was going to take for the man to realize his error and start the fumbling back track.

"Just look at her. She is enjoying that fight just a little too much." The brown haired man chuckled. "Now, I'm not one for interspecies _mating_, but I could make an exception for that one." The man's original grin was no longer recognizable under the twisted leer it had become.

"So the obnoxious orange shorts aren't a deterrent?"

"Hell no." The man snorted. "I'd just like see what she's got underneath –"

As Kirk turned to firmly reprimand the man, the sound equivalent to a roaring grizzly bear filled the air. Alarmed, Kirk barely had time to blink before Ensign Harris was tossed aside and the captain was backing away from a rather angry gentleman.

On the mats, Nia had heard the roar and the hairs on the back of her neck had stood straight up. Forgetting herself, she whirled around to disprove the familiarity of that sound. Nia had just enough time to take in the sight before an iron band wrapped itself around her neck.

Choking, Nia struggled. "Spock, no! Let me go!" The grip only tightened.

_So not the time to teach 'never turn your back on your enemy'._

"Spock, come on! Let go. Spock!" Catching her breath was starting to be a real problem. Feebly she tugged at his arm as she lifted the other in the direction of the alternate altercation taking place. "The captain…" She managed to grind out.

The sudden release on her throat was a relief that dropped her to the floor gasping and Spock hurried to where Nia's cousin was attacking the captain.

Pulling herself up, Nia hurried over to where Jacek was currently making a fool out of himself.

"Jacek!" Nia snapped as she tried to understand what exactly was happening. "_What do you think you are doing?_"

Instead of answering her, the man crouched down and hissed at the offending captain. Just over his shoulder, Ensign Harris was unconscious and in a useless heap on the ground.

It was the hiss that set her off, that brought the realization and the subsequent _embarrassment._

"Oh my gosh, you moron!" Nia near screamed in Standard.

In surprise, Jacek broke off his attack to stare at her.

"_You are not protecting my honor! You are embarrassing me!"_ When words failed her, she stormed out of the area with her head in her hands.

Jacek stared after her with a rather dumbfounded look. A look that was almost identical to the ones of the spectators around him. As the big Paladian faced the captain, he found that Spock had managed to place himself between the two males.

Kirk, standing just to the left of Spock's shoulder, was still tense and wary of Jacek. He signaled over two Security Officers who had been called to the ruckus. "Escort Mr. Jacek here to the brig."

Knowing the officers wouldn't be much of a fight, Jacek went with them anyways and allowed himself to be taken to the brig. He had a sinking feeling he may have made a huge mistake.

Once Jacek had been escorted out and Ensign Harris had been taken to the medbay, both Kirk and Spock departed in the direction Nia had left in. After confirming her location in the ship's computer, they found her fuming in her lab.

Clearing his throat, Kirk barely stepped forward when Nia cut him off.

"I am so, so sorry for my cousin's behavior." She said, tears welling in her eyes. "I-" Her cheeks flared up bright pink and she whirled away from the men to face the wall.

"Do you know why Jacek attacked Ensign Harris and I?" Kirk asked.

Nia shook her head. "I don't know for certain, but I have a pretty good guess." She faced the men again, but oddly enough avoided looking at Spock. "But first I have to ask, was Harris saying anything that either was or might be seen as inappropriate? About me?"

Ignoring the intense look from the man next to him, Kirk nodded. "I was about to reprimand him when Jacek appeared." Kirk leaned against the center counter with both hands in front of him. "If he was defending your honor, why did he come after me? I know he doesn't like me, but Harris was the one speaking."

Shrugging, Nia raised her hands to her face. "It doesn't matter. Just you being present could be considered enough."

"Enough for what?" Spock asked.

Nia still refused to look at him. "Enough to defend my honor and _yours._" She let out a shaky breath. "I think. I need to speak with him to know for sure."

"Defend Spock's honor? Why would that matter?" Kirk pressed.

"It's a Paladian trait for males to be territorial." Nia tried to explain.

Spock stepped up beside Kirk. "That trait can be seen in many humanoid species. However, you have yet to explain what that has to do with Jacek's attack on the captain."

"Because it wasn't meant as an attack. I don't think." Nia said, desperately. She turned to Spock, finally making eye contact with him. "Has Jacek been around more than would be considered normal? I know he sits with you during the meals, and so has Grego lately."

"He has approached me more than once in the labs and in the halls if only to greet me. Is that not typical?" Spock had put no thought into the occurrence beyond the acceptance of what appeared to be a Paladian custom.

Nia's frustration grew as she continued to fail to explain what happened. She had to tell the men that Jacek hadn't been trying to kill the captain, that what Jacek had done was considered normal if not acceptable by Paladian customs.

"Alright, just calm down. Here, sit" Kirk grabbed a stool and Nia promptly sat and focused on breathing. With her eyes closed, she failed to notice Spock reaching out until her wrist was firmly in his grasp. A connection formed between them, one much different than she was used to, one that didn't have the same emotional weight. This was a more _mental _connection.

_How could I forget that Vulcans are telepaths?_

Despite the differences to what Nia was accustomed to, Spock's effort did the trick. In fact, it worked much better than Nia would have thought. She could feel the absolute calm exhibited by the mind of the Vulcan male, and breathing was quickly much easier. The tension eased from her shoulders and the events and information in question ordered themselves much more efficiently.

When she opened her eyes, Spock released his hold on her wrist. It had been an experiment (or really, a gamble) so see if the connection _he _could form would do any good.

"Let me start by explaining that Jacek has not showed as much interest in my previous husband, Henry. By human standards, Henry was a very good man, but not an intimidating one. For Paladians, that lack of intimidation can equal a lack of, well, quality I suppose. Not always, but it can." Running a hand through her hair, Nia allowed herself to smile. "The fact he is so interested in Spock is a good sign. It's a sign of acceptance and respect of my choice."

"Choice?" Kirk asked, confused.

"Paladian females chose who they desire to court." Spock supplied.

With a look of dawning understanding, Kirk waved Nia to continue.

"Right. Well, sometimes males don't like who a female has chosen. They may continue to charm the female in hopes of changing her mind. It's not often a woman will change her mind, but it _has_ happened." Nia bit her lip. Now came the awkward part. "Captain, you would consider Spock a friend, correct?"

Not certain how to answer, Kirk responded with "Sure."

"And by extension, you treat me as a friend, correct?"

"Sure." He said again.

Nia smirked. "And, I'm sure you are also still 'scoping' me out? Making sure I'm good enough?"

Kirk returned the smirk. "You bet."

"Captain, I must protest – "

"Don't, Spock." Nia interrupted. "It's a human thing. Take it as a sign of respect. He has treated me well enough so far. Besides, Wena has been acting the same way towards you if you haven't noticed." She grinned at him. "Anyways, if the male a female is currently courting finds another male trying to gain her interest, the original male – or the boyfriend if you prefer – is expected to defend her right of choice."

Kirk nodded slowly. "Ok. So Jacek was defending your right. Why didn't he just expect Spock to do it?"

"This doesn't make sense in human terms, but if the _boyfriend"_ Nia really hated that term "can't defend her, a relative of the male can step up. That way, the male's honor is also protected."

Spock's lip twitched into an almost apparent frown. "I do not see why I would have been viewed incapable of defending you. Also, Jacek is not _my _relative."

It was Kirk who responded this time, having caught on to the way the Paladian would have been thinking. "If Jacek has accepted Nia's choice, then because she's family you would be family." He looked at Nia when she nodded in agreement and then asked, "Since Spock isn't Paladian and was clearly unaware of how the custom works, would it be wrong to assume that Jacek would have found it his _duty_ to defend yours and Spock's honor?"

Relief flooded through Nia. "Yes, that's exactly it." She let out a harsh chuckle. "As soon as I heard that hiss, I knew what was happening. It was a challenge, one I've actually heard a few times while growing up on Palad." She explained.

"While I still have to document the cause for Ensign Harris's injuries, it's a good thing for Jacek that he isn't Starfleet. I can write this all up as a cultural misunderstanding." Kirk told Nia. "Of course, after I confirm with Jacek that your reasoning is also his reasoning."

"Of course." Nia agreed. "Thank you. I'm still so sorry about all this."

Kirk just waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. No one was seriously injured and it's a lesson learned for all parties involved."

"Still, I'm really sorry."

This time, Spock spoke before the captain could. "It is not uncommon for the captain to find himself of an individual's anger."

"True." Kirk muttered.

"What is uncommon is the fact he was not deserving of it in this instance."

"Hey!" Kirk protested.

The only response was an unrepentant expression from Spock and giggle from Nia.

"Yes I've heard about that." Nia said. "I even heard you got recruited after a bar fight."

"Uhura?" Kirk asked.

"Nope, Pike. Uhura just confirmed."

With a roll of his eyes, Kirk held in hands up to defend against any more incriminating stories. "Enough. I'm getting out of here before you tell me that McCoy has been selling my dirty secrets."

"You mean your academy escapades?"

"He didn't!"

"Not to me." She answered with a cheeky smile.

Groaning, Kirk left the labs. Not only did he want to escape the abuse inflicted upon him by the pair, he also had a story to check with a Paladian in the brig.

"He didn't!"

"He did."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"_Wow_."

"_Ye-ah._"

"At least it's good in the sense that-"

"I know, right?" Nia giggled. "He wasn't even this way with Henry."

Wena snickered. "Yeah, you were lucky if he even acknowledged Henry's presence. Of course, that was before you married."

Nia just shook her head with a reminiscent smile. Family. What trouble they could get a person into.

"So, Spock took it well? And I'm glad the captain isn't too upset." Wena asked.

"Yeah, he did. It's yet another cultural difference to work through." Nia snorted. "Though I did think about getting even for the choke hold he put me in just when I was going to rescue the captain."

Wena coughed and lay back in her bed, laughing. Both women were relaxing after a long day and were content to just chat. "Let me guess, he was trying to teach not to turn your back on him?"

"Got it in one. As it was, Jacek had only time enough to start the challenge, you know with that stupid hiss, before I yelled at him and called him a moron."

"Bet that went over well."

"I don't know."

"You mean it did go over well?" Wena asked, confusion apparent on her face as she sat up to look at Nia.

"I don't know. I stormed out, remember?"

Wena giggled at her mistake. "Ah."

Silence fell in the shared quarters for a few moments.

"Can you believe it?" Wena asked.

"Yes, but I understand why you can't." Nia answered.

The brunette sighed. "I've seen all the pictures of the colony and the planet."

Nia groaned quietly. "Of course you have. I bet you've even done research on all the predators, too."

"… Did you know NiPila has bears?"

"Oh my gosh! Why?" Nia pulled her pillow over her face and let out a strangled yell.

"Why? Why? I'm going to be living there, that's why!"

"I swear if you start spouting statistics at me like you did with the sharks when we decided to try surfing, I will be forced to hurt you." Nia warned.

Wena protest. "Oh come on that was four years ago!"

"And that matters how?"

"Besides we were just surfing. This is much more serious. In two days we'll be dropping out of warp and – oh my gosh." Wena looked at Nia with a sudden panic. "We'll be dropping out of warp in two days. I don't even know if I want to live there. Gah!"

Nia started laughing. She knew she wouldn't, but Wena was being so… _Wena._ "So you went from being in awe that you'll finally be on NiPila in two days to freaking out about it? Well, you should make up your mind because your only way of not staying the planet will be shooting off into uncharted territory."

"This isn't funny. Wait," Wena hit Nia on the arm. "You'll be leaving me! That's not cool."

Nia started laughing yet again as her friend pouted. Eventually Wena rolled her eyes. Her friend's cackle could really be annoying sometimes. Annoying, but amusing enough that Wena started laughing with her.

The two were reduced for giggles for a not nearly long enough period of time when McCoy's voice cut through the comm system.

"Verde to McCoy."

With a long suffering sigh, Wena pulled herself up. "Verde here. What do you need _this_ time, McCoy?"

"Don't get smart with me. Just get down here."

"I don't work for you McCoy. You're missing an important word there."

"Verde, so help me…"

"No, it's 'Dr. Verde, will you please get down here?' I'm not asking for much McCoy."

"Dammit, Verde!"

"…"

"Fine, I need your help, please."

Wena grinned and Nia smirked. Gaining the half-Paladian's attention, Nia imitated the cracking of a whip. Giggling, Wena mouthed 'Shut up!' before telling McCoy she was on her way.

"Wonder what that's all about." Nia mused.

"No idea. Hopefully it's nothing serious. Don't stay up for me." Wena told her as she pulled her shoes on.

"Couldn't even if I wanted to." With that said, Nia made her final preparations for bed.

Wena chuckled and left for the medbay.

When she got there, Wena wasn't sure what to expect. The busy preparations weren't it.

"What's going on?" She asked the southern doctor.

"Ship had to drop out of warp early. Got a distress signal from a shuttle that's just floating out there and we're beaming the survivors over." McCoy asked quickly. "Need you to keep an eye on your people, while I handle the newcomers."

"Got it." Wena answered. "Anything I can do to help you prepare?"

"You bet."

* * *

A/N: Gah, I can't believe there was such a delay between postings. I'm so sorry.

Thank you to **ilovemedia18 **and **SerenityAngels** for reviewing. I really, really appreciate it!

Thank you also to those who have favorited and/or are following this story. I've noticed and I'm glad this is good enough to follow :)


	29. Chapter 28

**Oh my gosh. I am so, so sorry for the huge delay in updating. My only excuse is my geology courses are keeping me much, much busier than I expected. I even went camping for two classes for a week (each). It was pretty awesome, but the make up work turned me into a crazy person. **

**My awesome beta, TheWindowView, helped me edit this story. Hopefully, this flows nicely. It's a little bit of action (very little), which I will admit is my weak point. **

**Thank you to everyone who has waited for this story and is still reading it despite the incredible neglect in updating. It shouldn't happen again until exam time, but I hold no promises. However, it will be updated, that I do promise. Feel free to send me messages to make sure. **

**And now, please read and enjoy!**

"Rebecca, how is Micheal holding up?" The man asked, nerves adding making his quick movements appear almost jittery.

"Well enough. You sure they'll be able to fix this?" The woman asked, her eyes flashing with the fire he was so fond of.

"Absolutely. This is a Federation starship, the new flagship to be specific. It's got the best crew out there." Nicolai turned in his seat to grin at her. "They'll be obligated to patch us up and help us out how they can."

Rebecca sighed. "You should have let me kill him when I had the chance."

Nicolai matched her sigh. He did regret his decision. "Well, we may yet have another chance to fix this. We still have orders to follow through on, no matter the circumstances."

"Good." Rebecca said. "Good."

In an amazingly short period of time, the medbay was fully a prepped and Individuals from the stranded shuttle were beamed aboard. There was only one significantly injured enough to warrant being transported directly to the medbay, but both McCoy and Kirk felt that extra precaution was necessary.

Finding nothing more beyond slight malnutrition in some individuals, McCoy released the eight healthier members from the medbay. One remained behind to stay with their ill crewmember.

As McCoy decided to do a final check on the ill man, he looked around to try and find a familiar brunette. Frowning, McCoy wondered aloud "Where the hell did Verde get off to?"

Nia nearly yelped as she ducked the pair of pants that came flying past her head. "What in the-?" This time she failed to dodge the pillow. "Wena, what is going on?" Baffled, Nia surveyed the room, taking in the tossed bed sheets and strewn clothing.

Not certain if Wena heard her, Nia approached the grumbling woman. Wena was digging through her things and clearly hunting for something.

"What are you looking for?" Nia asked, offering her help.

"My shoes." Wena snapped. "I just took them off for a shower and now I can't find them."

"Seriously? That's what you've turned our room into a war zone for?" A little incredulous, Nia joined the search.

The hunt ended surprisingly quickly as Nia adjusted the part of her covers that had fallen on the floor and caught sight off the black shoes. "These them?" She asked cheekily as she held the pair up for her friend to see.

"Yes!" Wena exclaimed as she leapt up from her hunched position on the floor and snatched the worn shoes out of her friend's grasp. Spinning so that her back was facing Nia, Wena carefully felt inside the sole of one shoe. Hope confirmed, Wena allowed her shoulders to slump in relief.

"Wena?" Nia asked warily. She didn't know how to interpret or handle this change in the half-Paladian. She'd never been so stressed about a pair of shoes before.

Nor did Nia expect her friend to turn on her so quickly.

"Did you hide these from me?" Wena asked, furiously brushing back brown curls.

Nia let out a disbelieving chuckle. "What? No, why would I-"

"Do you think this is funny? What is your problem?" Wena snapped before stepping into Nia's personal space. "You need to stop screwing with my things." With a growl, the woman spun on her heel and stomped into the bathroom.

"Excuse me." Nia muttered then frowned furiously. "_Excuse_ me?" Within moments, Nia was at the bathroom door, palm pounding against the flat surface. "Hey! I didn't hide your shoes. What is going on?"

Her response was a muffled "Go away."

"Oh no. You do _not_ get to have an outburst like that and then go hide. You get your butt out here now. Skedaddle!"

Wena didn't open the door, but yelled back through barrier. "Do you even know what that means?"

Glaring at the barrier still blocking her, Nia snapped "It means get out here!"

"No. No it doesn't." Wena was feeling a bit hysterical as she clutched her shoes tight to her chest. This was getting _so_ out of hand. Eventually Nia stopped hitting the door and retreated back into the main part of the quarters, presumably waiting for her to exit the bathroom.

As soon as she'd seen his face, the brunette knew she had to get out of the medbay, to find someplace and hide before he could see her. It was probably too late, but any chance she might have or could get, she was going to take. Maybe. Different variable existed this time, different people were involved. More capable people… maybe this could finally be fixed.

Hope blossomed in her chest as the half-Paladian struggled to stand from her couched position. A couple stumbling half steps and Wena was opening the bathroom door, mouth open to talk to her friend, to spill everything, to finally fix the mess she was in.

Wena had just made eye contact with Nia when the comm system came to life, spewing an eerily familiar voice.

**Half an hour earlier.**

McCoy was pissed.

Not only had Verde gone and disappeared, but once his patient had mostly recovered from the anaphylactic shock, the man had decided to no longer be his patient. Instead, he decided to be the hacker who locked down the medbay and was holding everyone hostage with the weapon he pulled out of… Well, McCoy wasn't certain he wanted to know.

The idiot had a partner, too. One of the two women in the group from the shuttle was covering his back and making sure no one moved out of place. It was her who had rather forcefully kicked McCoy out of his office. He hadn't protested too much. The way the pair moved was indicative of training of some sort.

While McCoy was trained to keep his cool under pressure, this situation was quite baffling. Save for the two humans who'd locked down his medbay, the rest of the group had left with a couple of security officers.

Jim was going to be pissed. No way in heck was this ragtag bunch going to be able to take over the _Enterprise_.

At least, that's what McCoy kept telling himself.

Jim Kirk stared at the odd little phaser aimed at his head and wondered just how this came to pass. Certainly, beaming the struggling passengers of the dead shuttle over to the medbay had been the _right_ thing to do.

Out of the nine that had been beamed over, at least five were expert hackers. _Five_. None of them had even bothered coming to the bridge to complete the hacking.

No, Kirk would be willing to be that Scotty had a lot of unwelcome company right about now. Kirk supposed he should consider himself lucky that only two were securing the bridge.

The man had the phaser aimed at his head, while the woman had used her _two _phasers to stun the majority of his officers.

Spock would have leapt into action if it weren't for the fact that both the man and the woman had set their phasers to kill in response to the Vulcan merely standing. That and Kirk subtly signaled for the man to hold his ground. The woman had her phasers aimed at Chekov and Sulu, the only two still sitting upright.

"Alright, take it easy." Kirk tried. "Tell us what you need and we can work something out."

The woman snorted and Kirk spared her a glance. She looked human, maybe African in descent with dark hair cut short and spiked. Her uniform matched the man's, both a rather nondescript brown and lacking in any identifying details.

The man didn't move. Kirk didn't like the hardened edge to the dull green eyes watching him, nor the impassive expression covering the pale face.

Quietly, the man spoke. "First, you are going to redirect us out of here. Immediately."

"Well, where would you like to go?" Kirk asked.

"Captain," Spock made to interrupt, but Kirk swiftly shook his head.

The man stared at Kirk a moment longer. "Rebecca, give the navigations officer the first coordinate position."

"Yes, sir." She responded. Keeping her distance, Rebecca approached Sulu to give him the coordinates in voice as calm and quiet as her apparent superior.

Sulu was wary at the controls and looked to Kirk for direction. "Captain?" He asked. Was he really supposed to just fly off under the command of these people?

"Go ahead, Mr. Sulu." The blond man responded, still seated and staring at the phaser in his face. His mind was working the situation, trying to find a way to get control out from under the individuals attempting to control his ship. So far, his best option was time. Nine individuals was not a large enough team to take down _this_ ship. None of Kirk's crew could even remotely be considered subpar. "What else?" Kirk asked.

Finally the man's expression changed. A very slow, dragging smirk crossed his face. "Contact Dr. Wena Verde and have her report to the bridge."

Kirk frowned. "I have a Dr. McCoy and a Dr. –"

"Don't try it." The man snapped. "You have a very special group of Paladian settlers on board, Captain. Very special. Now," His voice dropped low once again "contact her."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Kirk contacted the Medical Bay "Dr. Verde, report to the bridge."

There was a moment of silence before a gentleman's voice that Kirk didn't recognize responded. "Nice try. Verde's not here."

"And Dr. McCoy?" Kirk asked before Nicolai could stop him.

"Oh don't worry, the good doctor is alive and well."

"For now." The man in front of Kirk stated. "Thank you, Micheal."

"Yes, sir." 'Micheal's' tone was considerably more respectful once he realized his superior was listening.

Nicolai turned his attention back to Kirk. "Now that we have the health of your CMO established, why don't we try this again?"

Glaring at the man, Kirk snapped "Actually we don't have the health of my CMO established, what we have is the word of you man, Micheal, that he is fine."

Nicolai resisted the urge to roll his eyes. These _honorable_ Starfleet captains were all the same. Pain in the asses, every last one of them.

After a couple moments silence, Kirk honestly thought he was going to get his way.

Instead, Nicolai spoke evenly "I believe I told you to contact Dr. Verde. Please do so, or else" He shifted his stance so that his weapon was aimed at Spock "I will be forced to kill your First Officer. A shame really, since I hear Vulcans are an endangered species."

Spock didn't react beyond a twitch of a single eyebrow.

Kirk gritted his teeth. "Since you have rather successfully hacked our computers, I have no way of knowing where Dr. Verde is. It's a rather big ship, as you can tell."

"And you are attempting to stall." Nicolai surmised. "Are you really that confident in you crew's abilities?" He smirked again. "No matter, just give a ship wide announcement. You've already proven you still have access to _that_ comm system."

"You sure you want me to do that?" Kirk asked.

Smirk falling, Nicolai outright glared at the captain. "Believe it or not, you are in a very vulnerable position. Should your XO and yourself dispatch of myself and Rebecca, you will not be able to help your engineering department as the rest of my team fully disables your ship." With a particularly grim smile, he added "Also, we can't forget the individuals still trapped in the medbay. It wouldn't do any good for them to have all essential functions to shut down, now would it? All it would take is a signal or a lack of a signal, and my men will act."

While he didn't know the truth of the man's words, Kirk had to admit that the man was a very good talker. His tone was even and meant to convey the sincerity of his statements. His words weren't rushed or panicked; there was an underlying layer of anger that triggered warning bells in Kirk's head.

It hadn't escaped the captain's attention the way the pair had moved and precision with which they had executed their takeover of the bridge. The movements and fluidity suggested training. Possibly some rogue government faction, someone with the time, resources, and desire to train people how to take over a Federation starship. _And maybe even those that aren't Federation._

Sensing Kirk's hesitance, Nicolai spoke again "Here, I'll make it easy for you. I'll make the announcement. I'm sure she'll come running upon hearing you and your crew are in immediate danger."

"Nia, don't! Who's being stupid now? Will you stop?!" Wena tried to keep her voice down, but it was difficult with the pace she was maintaining in an attempt to keep up with her friend who was currently swiftly running to the bridge. After the announcement, Wena had watched with growing apprehension as her friend's face flushed, paled, and then turned the deepest shade of pink Wena had ever seen. Then Nia had bolted out of the room, Wena trailing after fearing for the sanity of the other woman.

Rounding a corner, Nia aggressively shook off Wena's grasping hand from her arm. With surprising grace, Nia made her way to the bridge, repeatedly brushing Wena off. When the doorway was in sight, Nia stopped short.

Startled, Wena stopped next to her and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I-"

"Stay here." Nia cut her off, and then turned away from her friend again.

Wena stood there, wondering if she should start pulling her hair out as her friend stormed onto the bridge.

In sending the announcement, Nicolai made one mistake. A small one, all things considered.

He turned his back to one of the doorways leading to the bridge. He was well aware of its presence and knew of the other doorway leading to the turbolift.

When it opened behind him, it cost him a split second to turn around and face the half-Paladian doctor he was fully expecting to see shaking in her boots as she approached him.

That split second would have been the time he needed to recover from the shock of who really came through the doorway at him. It would have been the time he needed to shake the memory of their previous meeting from his head.

And he would have been prepared for the fist that connected with his jaw, snapping his back with surprising ease and quite literally knocking his consciousness away.

Kirk, had half risen from his seat, shocked when the man's lifeless body slumped across him. Quickly, he shoved the man off of him. He was well aware there was another threat still in existence and all too aware that Nia's focus had been centered solely on the man now sprawled on the floor.

Nia felt only a small portion of her anger ebb at the sight of Nicolai sprawled on the floor. Satisfaction replaced that small portion, but only for a brief instance before her head was suddenly yanked back by a vicious grip on her hair. Struggling, Nia attempted to scratch at the hand gripping her hair.

"You stupid bitch!" was all she heard against the searing pain of her scalp before her attacker fell away from her.

Finally able to complete a turn, Nia spun to find a woman slumped on the ground and Spock was standing calmly behind her.

Nia's eyes scanned him quickly, fearing he was already injured. After hearing Nicolai's threat over the comm system, her Paladian instincts had been thrown into overdrive and her desire to protect him however she could struck her hard. She hadn't realized how powerful those instincts could be.

Seeing no injuries, Nia let Wena's voice pull her attention away. "Leave it to Nicolai to blow his whole mission by threatening _your_ boyfriend."

Looking down, Nia rolled her eyes. "And leave it to Rebecca to freak." Turning to Wena, Nia asked. "And here I thought I was never going to see these two again."

"You and me both." Wena replied, arms crossed and hands rubbing her upper arms.

Stepping close, Spock reached out a hand to delicately lift a stray lock of hair. The captain was contacting Engineering, so Spock had a moment to confirm his suspicions. Fine line of glistening pink could be seen through the pale white of her hair. "You are injured." Spock stated.

Nia lifted her hand to delicately touch the stinging line of her scalp. Just as she applied the slightest pressure, Nia yelped and looked at her hand in appalled amazement.

Kirk, having somehow appeared next to her without her knowledge, gently examined her hand. "Bones will have to check this out, but I'd guess you've got a couple breaks. Someone needs to teach you how to punch properly."

Bristling, Nia resisted yanking her hand away from him. "It's not my fault! He has a steel plate in his jaw and I-" she frowned.

"How do you know that?" Kirk asked.

Wena snorted. "Looks like we have a story to tell."

Nia narrowed her eyes at her friend. "We?" She asked.

Sighing, Wena rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. The story is mostly mine to tell."

* * *

A/N: Alright, there's the next step in this story. Seems like there has been some trouble brewing...

Thank you to everyone who has been reading this, and especially to **ilovemedia18**, **The End That Wasn't**, and **SerenityAngels **for reviewing and to all those who have favorited and/or added this story to their alerts list. I dearly appreciate you all and everything you have to say about my work.


	30. Chapter 29

**Thank you to everyone who is still following and reading this story. I'm so sorry for the delays between updates, but I promise you they will pick up soon. As in a couple weeks. After finals (and I'm filled with dread just thinking about those horrible tests). **

**Word to the wise, there may be a few typos in this chapter. I edited it myself and while I caught a few, I don't always catch my own errors. If you see an error, please forgive me. **

**I hope everyone who celebrated Thanksgiving had a very happy one! I'm still eating left overs...**

**Please, read and enjoy:**

"So, this story? I suppose it will explain why this group tried to take over my ship and cover exactly how you know two of them?" Kirk phrased it as a question, but the others knew the subtle demand of information for what it was.

Wena faced him after muttering "I told you to wait" to the current medbay captive.

Spock stood quietly beside Wena, both standing beside the biobed Nia was laying upon while McCoy examined the Paladian's hand and scalp. Kirk stood at the foot of the bed, body language bordering on aggressive.

"Oh shush." Nia returned, ignoring the captain to glare at her friend. "Can you honestly tell me you expected a different out come?"

Wena stared pointedly at the damaged hand in McCoy's care as an answer. Her stare was disregarded.

Whining, Nia resisted the urge to yank her hand from the doctor as he used the bone setter on the fractured metacarpals.

McCoy growled at her in response. "Quit your fussing, I'm almost done."

Nia settled for glaring at the man as her left hand practically vibrated at her side in a way to try and control her reaction to the pain.

Without paying further attention to what was happening on the bed, Wena reached down and grabbed the bouncing appendage. Taking a deep breath, the half-Paladian gave a half-hearted chuckled. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is preferable." Spock stated.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Well, in the beginning –"

"Don't start." Nia grumbled, squeezing the hand she held harder before releasing it. She sat up. McCoy had finished with Nia's hand and moved on to the tear in her scalp.

Nia hissed as McCoy lifted thin layers of her hair to examine the skin beneath. The delicate sound caught Wena's interest.

"It's stopped bleeding at least, but it is going to be a real pain to clean with those scabs to worry about." Wena observed.

"You're telling me." Nia muttered and then turned to McCoy exasperated. "Isn't there some better way to do this?"

He pulled away from the task of cleaning away the crusted fuchsia blood. Scalp wounds were always troublesome to clean, what with the hair that gets caught in the wound and any movement from the follicles causing irritation. "Yes, there is, but you just had to damn well insist on being the last person I treat and as a result the blood has clotted and caked itself around the wound."

"But the engineers had burns!" Nia protested. "I know from experience those are worse and more painful." Working in a lab wasn't field work, but it had its own dangers.

McCoy's snort showed just how strong he found her reasoning. "Only two engineers were burned. The rest were the idiots who underestimated this crew."

"Definitely underestimated the crazy engineers." Nia had often wondered if a torch could be used as a weapon. Now, she had her answer.

With a devilish gleam in his blue eyes, McCoy tapped the side of his head as he said "We're all mad here."

The responding giggle was cut short when the doctor returned to the task of tending to her scalp. Scowling, Nia gave up any thought of protesting and instead settled for pressing the fingers of one hand against the hairline of her forehead to try and ease the jerking of her scalp as he pulled on her hair.

Kirk almost snorted at the all too familiar resigned grimace on the Paladians face and then again he held back a snort when he thought of his engineers.

A cutting torch as a weapon? It shouldn't surprise him, it really shouldn't, but that hadn't stopped his eyebrows from skyrocketing when he heard what tools the engineers had used to defeat the would-be hijackers.

Actually, the captain still wasn't entirely sure how it happened; he had only been privy to the results. When Kirk had arrived in Engineering, five severely burned and restrained hijackers were huddled beneath the piping where Keenser sat, waving a torque wrench victoriously.

Lieutenant Casey was a surprising life saver. The short and robust woman was able to counter hack the hijackers' programming that had locked down the vital parts of the ship. Kirk was quite glad to have her on board.

Of course, by the time the engineers were taking back control of Engineering Nia had been a woman on a mission and was storming down the halls filled with what turned out to be a quite violent emotion. Or violent enough to prevent her from truly thinking through the fact she was even able to storm on to a bridge where the lives of the first officer _and_ the captain were being threatened. Not to mention poor Sulu and Chekov. Casey was the reason behind Nia's easy access to the bridge, and Nicolai's disadvantageous surprise at her sudden presence.

Security officers took care of the two in the Medical Bay, and finished apprehending the pair on the bridge. Given the bridge crew's reputation, the officers were hardly surprised to find half the work already done by the time they had arrived. After the happenings of the Narada incident, many had learned not to underestimate the physical capabilities of Sulu, Kirk, and definitely not Spock.

With a sigh, Kirk returned his mind to the present situation. "Alright, let's start with how you two" he gestured to Nia and Wena "knew the two on the bridge. You've already stated you don't recognize any of the others." It was a passing comment shared upon arrival to the medbay, but Kirk had caught it anyways.

The two women shared a long look, silently deciding who would speak first.

After only a few seconds, Wena turned a sheepish look in the captain's direction. "Well, Captain, you see," she sighed. There was no easy way to admit this. "I was engaged to Nicolai, the man – the idiot, really – who pulled the phaser on you."

Silence reigned over the group as even McCoy was distracted from his task (to Nia's temporary relief) by her statement.

Wena bounced back on her heels. "Yeah…" She let the word drag in the awkward quiet.

"You have my sympathies." Kirk finally quipped.

"Thanks." Wena replied sardonically.

Nia snorted then chuckled, before giving up and outright laughing.

Her friend just shook her head in self-deprecating humor and rolled her eyes when Nia when quiet from laughing so hard. "It really isn't that funny. Will you stop laughing? You know, I actually might have loved the guy." Wena waited, but Nia's laughter didn't ease in the slightest. She decided the embarrassment factor might work. "Seriously, you look mentally challenged when you clap your hands like that." Exasperated and mildly amused by the Paladian finally struggling to calm herself, Wena turned back to the captain. "Nicolai and I parted ways a few years back and then he seemed to disappear. I figured he'd gotten that off world government job he'd always wanted and ran with it."

"This guy told you he wanted a government job?" Kirk asked. While it didn't necessarily mean anything, telling her such a thing might make Nicolai a liability for covert operations… On Earth. Off Earth, he could be put with a team of specialized individuals to work for virtually anyone. Something Kirk was already suspecting and piecing together that the man had done.

"I know what you're thinking." Nia stated. "Nicolai has always had a tendency to be very arrogant. He's very intelligent, but severely overestimates his people skills. Or at least used to." She shrugged. "With training, that could have changed. He was thorough to an obsessive degree when planning everyday activities. Outings were always arranged in advance." With a humorous expression on her face, Nia looked at Spock pointedly. "Organizing and planning is good, but so much that a person can't handle a change not to their favor without a conniption of unbelievable proportions transcends the terms annoying and irritating to stick firmly in the infuriating category."

Kirk whistled low.

Spock raised an eyebrow.

Wena just shrugged. "I kinda liked it."

McCoy snorted. "Of course you did." He frowned at the female doctor. "What about that damned plate in his jaw? It's damned archaic nonsense if you ask me."

This time roles were reversed when Wena chuckled while Nia struggled not to look too embarrassed. Or proud.

"I was the maid of honor, what else did he expect?" Nia finally snapped at Wena, causing the other woman to laugh. With a frustrated look at Kirk, Nia told him "He didn't show up for his wedding. Some of us went looking for him. I found him." She took a deep breath through her nostrils. "Apparently he had a very gratuitous change of plans because he was quite _busy_ with someone _else_."

"The woman, Rebecca, to be specific." Wena pitched in.

Kirk sucked in a deep breath. Well, if that didn't muddy the waters at all.

Continuing, Nia said "I was understandably upset, and stormed out of his apartment rather aggressively. I made it out of the building to where some construction was happening."

Wena picked up the story. "Nicolai, not knowing how _fiercely_ loyal Paladians are and expect others to be, chased after her. He caught up with her near where a construction crew was renovating a couple older building, the ones with a significant amount of wooden structuring and –"

"- I hit him with a two by four. It was the first thing within my reach and I'm lucky he didn't press charges."

"His jaw was basically pulverized on one side. The plate was just easier than trying to use the bone setter."

"And his 'girlfriend' has never liked me since." Nia finished. "Speaking of Rebecca, you guys need to learn how to pull hair when fighting. Females tend to do it all the time, and it's surprisingly effective." She grumbled as McCoy finally got to the task of mending the tear.

Eyeing the new look to Spock's eyes, Wena stage whispered to her friend "You may regret that suggestion. Then again, maybe you want -" She grunted as Nia's elbow collided with her side.

Ignoring her, the blond man shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He was somewhat baffled. "So how does that explain why he was on my ship? It can't have been revenge or some ex-lover's quarrel. It's too big of a risk to take."

"Indeed, if the matter were merely of a personal nature, would not attacking a Federation starship be deemed as illogical and unlikely to succeed?" Spock agreed with his commanding officer.

Nia gave a sly look to a suddenly very uncomfortable Wena. "That's something I would like to know as well."

Flushing a deep red, the brunette tried to speak, but her voice cut out. Clearing her throat, she tried again with little success. Wena seemed to be debating the subject internally. "If I give you the answers you are looking for, it will implicate several individuals." She tried to make the men understand. "This implication will put every member of this ship in danger."

The three men gazed at each other, all thinking similar things.

Kirk smiled at Wena. "It wouldn't be the first time and likely won't be the last." He stated matter-of-factly. "What's the problem?"

Letting out a breath, Wena let her shoulders slump. "As you know the crash wasn't an accident."

"It was the gentleman, Bakor, who caused it." Kirk stated before looking at Wena's expression with a dawning understanding. "Wasn't it?" He asked, now uncertain as to the answer.

Shaking her head negatively, Wena gently stated "No. That was a lie."

Nia went very, very still next to Wena.

"How?" Kirk asked softly.

"I don't know the how." Wena told him, shaking her head again. Tears filled her eyes. "I suppose I should start with the beginning of this mess as I know it."

Any response to that statement was held back as Wena gripped the edge of the bed with one hand and tugged a shoe of with the other hand. Folding back the tongue gave Spock a clear visual as she pealed back the inner padding of the sole to reveal a small indentation. Delicately, Wena used her thumb to slide out a thin, flat, and rectangular object that she handed to Spock.

He examined it briefly before passing it to his commanding officer.

The captain cradled the fragile looking item in the palm of his hand. He knew what it was he held. "Bones, if you're done with Sargent I would like to continue this conversation in a more secure setting."

The item was approximately the size of his thumbnail and glossy. In and of itself, the item could cause no physical harm beyond irritation if jammed in someone's eye. No, the simple shape and structure of the item was not what twisted Kirk's gut with foreboding. The shiny look and smooth texture didn't frighten him or give him a reason to be wary.

No, it was the information held inside the small, inconspicuous memory chip that was going to cause trouble for his crew. The trouble that Wena was surely referencing.

Oh yeah, this small piece of material was going to shake the _Enterprise_.

* * *

A/N: Any guesses as to what is on the foreboding chip? What do you want to be stored on there? I'd love to hear what you think.

Thank you, thank you to **ilovemedia18** and **SerenityAngels** for reviewing.

And thank you to everyone who had favorited/added this story to their alerts lists.


	31. Chapter 30

**Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! **

**Here is a new chapter for your enjoyment. **

Once again, Nia and Wena found themselves seated in front of the desk in the captain's ready room.

This time though, only Spock and the captain were present. This was in accordance to Wena's request, which Kirk would speak to the others after speaking with Wena.

Both men were actually standing, bent over the data tablet laying flat on Kirk's desk. The women waited with baited breath while Kirk would delicately touch the screen to bring up another page. And another.

And another.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually the captain looked at his first officer.

"Mr. Spock," he breathed. "Have you ever seen anything like this?" Kirk wasn't sure what answer he wanted to hear.

"Captain, while many of these equations are recognizable, I must admit a significant portion of the information contained in this document is unfamiliar to me." Spock replied.

"So, no. Not really." Kirk surmised. "What is this word that is referenced several times? Rolium? Is it some kind of material?"

Nia frowned, confused. "It's a mineral heavily abundant in Paladian soils. It's like… the quartz, on Earth." She leaned forward. "It's mentioned there? In the document?"

Standing straight, Kirk replied "It's the star of this thing."

"You are not aware of the information inside this document?" Spock asked Wena.

The half-Paladian snorted. "I'm a doctor, not a chemist. My job deals with living and breathing things, not rocks in the ground." She crossed her arms and raised her chin defiantly.

Kirk leveled her with a stare. "Alright, Bonesette. How did you get a hold of this data then? And where is the scientist who originally collected it?"

"The scientist was a friend of mine. He-" Her voice broke and Wena's eyes dropped to the desk. The brunette's voice was thick with emotion as she continued to speak. "His disappearance is what made me leave Palad with some of Nia's family. He gave me this copy of his data barely a week before the office was destroyed. A malfunctioning extinguishing system flooded his office and then-" She paused to clear her throat, yet again. "His family reported him missing." Wiping furiously at her face, Wena continued. "An official report was issued that he died en route to NiPila and the ceremonial burning was held there as a _courtesy_ to the family."

Kirk shook his head. "Hard to cry foul when you have ashes in lieu of a body." He produced a handkerchief from somewhere and passed it to the half-Paladian. She used it to vigorously wipe away any remnants of tears from her face, using the small lull in questioning to pull herself together. Nia gently rubbed her shoulder.

"What caused the colony ship to crash on the desert planet?" Spock asked.

Nia assumed he was attempting to get the conversation back on track.

"I believe the pilot was attempting an emergency landing. It's something Paladian colony ships are capable of." Wena told him.

"Under the right circumstances, of course." Nia butt in.

"Right. Unfortunately, the pilot was one of the more severely injured from the crash and he died a few days after." Wena said. "But the reason, the reason…" This was it, this was the line. Anything more, anything further was a death sentence in the wrong hands. She was acutely aware of the lives other than hers that were at risk. "Council member Chancellor Narsow apprehended myself and the two head engineers on suspicion of treason."

"Narsow? One of the two Federation Council members from Palad?" Kirk clarified.

"Yes." Wena replied.

"Oh boy." He sat back and sighed. "I'm going to call Pike. Then, you are going to tell us everything. And I do mean _everything_."

"Now listen to me. The men will probably greet you by a simple gripping of your forearm. If they do that, respond by gripping theirs. Paladians can be affectionate though, so don't be surprised if you get hugged by even some of the men." Nia was trying to give Kirk the crash course in Paladian customs, just in case he forgot something that was taught at the academy. "The women, on the other hand, may press their cheek against yours. That's the same thing as a kiss on the cheek to a human, so you should not worry about that."

"I'm not." Kirk assured her, chuckling.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not done. The thing that may startle you the most is if you are asked if you can be touched. This is not in reference to physical touching, it's in reference to-"

"Sharing emotions, right? Spock told me about that." Kirk grinned. This was going to be fun.

Blushing, Nia stared at him for a moment. "He did?" She asked. Clearing her throat, she tried to move on. "Ok, well don't feel pressured if you are asked. It's probably only joy or gratitude they want to share, but either way if you say no, it won't happen."

"Then why-?"

"Special situation."

"Is that what it's called?" He laughed openly at her responding glare. Her buttons were easy to push when she was tense.

Nia opened her mouth to respond when the walking pair reached the transporter room. Sighing, Nia gave up her argument and decided to join Wena and the others on the transporter pad. It didn't escape Nia's notice that her friend had positioned herself as far as she could from the captain.

Kirk gave the order "Energize!"

This time Nia's reaction to her arrival to the planet was considerably different. This time, the cold damp that immediately assaulted her skin was a welcome caress to the unusually warm skin of the Paladian. This time a deep, resonating calm soaked through to her core as the presence of her people thrummed against her heart. Her deep breath and quiet sigh were replicated by every arriving member of her people. Nia's eyes were also shut as she enjoyed the moist air against her skin and the peace that radiated around her.

"Feels like home." She murmured.

Spock, standing next to her, watched her relax and then took in his new surroundings. A few of the shuttles were in their vicinity and were being unloaded by both individuals he recognized and those he did not. Temporary shelters were already in the process of being set up and there were many Paladians and Starfleet crewmembers aiding in that endeavor.

Those who were not setting up were reuniting with family. The leader of the colony had stepped forward and was conversing with the captain. The blond man did not seem to mind when the Paladian male wrapped his arms around him in an affectionate gesture. Spock quietly hoped he would not receive the same treatment and planned an appropriate reaction in case he did.

Realizing the captain and other ranking officers had arrived, more Paladians began to flank to new comers, several gripping Spock's forearm in what the Vulcan knew to be a sign of respect. Nia's arms and cheeks were brushed lightly while she kept her eyes closed. Some also gripped her hands, and pressed their cheeks to hers. The Paladian woman returned the embraces as best she could while still soaking in the comfort of her surroundings.

Finally, she opened her eyes and smiled at the captain. "Alright, let's get to work. Where are we needed first?"

Setting up shelters and families in them was only a small portion of the work to be done. Those Paladians still ill from their time on the desert planet were placed in the small, yet fully functional hospital that both McCoy and Wena felt the need to fully inspect.

It was when the afternoon began to transverse into the evening that crew from the _Enterprise_ began to notice what some of the colonized Paladians were setting up in the center under a modified steel tent. As far as Kirk could tell, they colony was setting up for a party of some sort.

As soon as the work day started to wind down, Nia found herself hauled off by some of the other women. Wena watched her disappear around a corner with a roll of her eyes.

"Don't worry." She told Spock, who had also watched her leave. "She'll be back shortly and in time for dinner."

A short period of time passed before Spock found himself ushered into a seat next to Kirk and Nia's quieter cousin Grego. A quiet conversation ensued until it was time for the evening meal.

A small distance away, Nia had returned and was filling two plates with food. "No, no Maman, he's Vulcan. No meat."

"What do you mean, no meat?" Came the baffled reply. "No wonder he is so thin, he's not eating right." At Nia's look, Drella huffed. "Fine, but _you_ are going to eat meat. You've lost weight since last I saw you, Niniane."

Nia grimaced. "Alright, but only a little. I don't know if it will offend him or not."

Narrowing her eyes, Drella corrected "A little for now. If it offends him, he will have to get over it. I will not have my daughter wither away to a pile of skin and bones." With that being said, she dropped a greasy drumstick on Nia's plate.

Ignoring the fact that her stomach rumbled at the sight of the juicy and sure to be well seasoned hunk of meat, Nia looked up at her mother with a sneaky grin. "You do realize that with our current advancements in GMO's, I am perfectly capable of having a balanced diet without the presence of meat."

"Is this the way you speak to your mother? I know best how to take care of you. Or did you forget that time you-"

"Ok, enough, I'm out of here." Nia interrupted. "I am not going down memory lane with you."

Drella's look at her daughter was smug. "Because you would lose."

"Yes, I would." Nia had no problems admitting it.

Drella chuckled as she watched her daughter walk away, the crow's feet at her eyes accentuated by her growing grin. After the expected tears at seeing her girl again, the older woman had proceeded to wheedle out every detail she could of her daughter's life. All the while, she was meticulously 'fixing' Nia's mess of hair. Hearing about Spock had been a surprise and Drella couldn't resist chastising Nia for not sending a message at the least.

The other women present had grasped on to the piece of gossip and asked as many questions as they could about the new man in Nia's life. Enough time had passed since Henry, and it was expected that she find someone new.

What Nia wouldn't admit was that she had enjoyed the delight in the women's actions and the giddy conversation. A couple of the girls had questions about the captain (who'd single-handedly rescued the stranded settlers, according to them), to which Drella and Nia had shared a knowingly look.

With a small smile, Nia shook her head as she walked to where both Kirk and Spock were sitting. Seeing her approach, Kirk shifted over on the bench to allow room for her. She gave him a grateful nod and settled down next to Spock.

"Here. I grabbed a variety, since I don't know what you prefer." Nia set down the plate in front of Spock.

Kirk looked surprised. "Where's mine?" He asked.

She gave him a look. "The food is over there. I'm sure if you just ask you'll find there's plenty of help available if you need it." And plenty of young women wanting to do the job. "On second thought, I'll just ask my maman to bring you a plate. It'll please her." Nia got up and walked over to her mother.

While she walked away, McCoy sat across the table from Kirk. He had his own plate of food and smirked at the sight Spock's plate. The food had been piled very high.

After Nia engaged in short conversation and returned, McCoy noted "You changed your outfit."

She glanced down at herself in surprise. "I did, but it's really not that different than what you might see on Earth."

Truly, she didn't see that her outfit was anything significant. The pants were knee length and a comfortable dark brown wash that matched the vest covering the short sleeved, dark green blouse. It was her hair that was truly different.

The white mass was pulled back and bundled against the back of her head with a piece of brightly colored green mesh. The top portion of her hair appeared looser than the sides due to the many small braids present, the ends of which were tucked into the bundle at the back of her head. It was style not commonly seen on humans, but one that the crew had already noticed many variations of amongst the colony women.

Quickly, Nia sat down before they could notice the change in her footwear.

"So, did you leave Wena at the hospital or were both of you kicked out?" Nia asked.

McCoy shrugged. "The latter, I suppose though I don't know where she disappeared off to." His eyes drifted to something behind her.

Not noticing, Nia replied "I think I see her in line for food with Uhura."

Suddenly, Nia felt something very cold pressed against the back of her neck. Yelping, she reached a hand around to connect with the one holding an icy glass to the sensitive skin of her neck. As soon as she made contact, she knew who was behind her.

"Papio!" She exclaimed. Nia stood up and hugged the man as tight as she could. Pulling back she glared at him, "Not funny."

He laughed at her, tongue in his cheek as he saw the baffled faces of McCoy and Spock and the uncertain grin on Kirk's face.

Nia turned with a grin. "Guys, this is my father, Makol."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Captain Kirk of the _Enterprise_. This is my CMO, Dr. McCoy and this is my first officer Commander Spock. I'm sure you've heard about him." He started as a woman set a plate down in front of him.

"Yes, I assure you, we have." The older Paladian female told him.

"And this is my mother, Drella." Nia told them.

Drella grinned. "If you need anything, just…" Her smile dimmed slightly. "What's the phrase?" She asked Nia.

"'Just holler if you need me.'" Nia supplied.

"Yes, that's it." Drella waved a hand. "Well you heard what to do." Then she left to return to where she was needed.

Makol huffed good naturedly, pressed his cheek to his daughter's temple. "Do good, Niniane." He said.

Nia rolled her eyes. "Be good, Papio. It's 'be good'."

She shook her head as he laughed and went to join his wife. With a blushing glance at Spock, Nia retook her seat. No one spoke for a moment.

"So," McCoy said. "Those were your parents?"

Spock looked at him. Did he not hear Nia's introduction?

"Yep." Nia answered the awkward question meant to break the awkward silence.

Kirk was poking his utensils at his plate. "What is this?"

The current item he was questioning was a clearly a vegetable, but one he had never seen. Or really imagined, the shade of pink was _very_ bright.

Nia gestured with her own utensil. "Well that is going to be like a beat with the consistency of a carrot. That right there is just another variety of peas, and it always goes great with the poultry my mother also dished out for you. You should feel honored," Nia smirked. "She gave you some of her best recipe. Everyone tries to get a piece of it." She turned to Spock. "And you should thank me. She tried very hard to get me to give you some meat, something I highly doubted you would appreciate."

"Indeed, it seems I am in your debt. Though it was only logical to do so." He replied.

She snorted. "You don't know my mother very well. You are so in my debt. Anyways," She proceeded to point to his plate. "There is a little bit of everything so that you can try and get more of what you like." She smiled at him, a faint blush dancing across her cheeks again. This was food from her home, things she was used to and maybe a little proud of.

Looking back at her plate, Nia froze. "Uh," She leaned closer to Spock and quietly asked. "Do you mind if I eat a little meat?" Realizing it was an odd question to ask, since she'd eaten meat in front of him before without him commenting on it, she stumbled into a hasty explanation. "If you do, I totally understand. It just means I have to find a way to sneak it on to Kirk's plate without my mother noticing."

Spock followed her gaze to find Drella watching them. The older Paladian gestured for them to begin eating, head bobbing with overly expressive encouragement.

Nia muttered something in Paladian.

"It would be prudent not to offend your mother." Spock advised.

"Yeah, she's watching me a bit closely, isn't she?" Nia asked.

Spock agreed. "I believe the expression is 'like a hawk'."

* * *

A/N: So sorry for the delays in updating, but I'm glad someof you are still enjoying this, and/or finginding it and enjoying it. It really warms my heart when I get emails saying some else has favorited or followed my story, or even better, has reviewed.

My heart goes out to you all and I pray you all have a very blessed holiday.

Special thanks to **ilovemedia18 **and **fallenfaeangel** for your reviews, and thank you to everyone who has favorited or decided to follow this story.

- Spirit


	32. Chapter 31

**I am so very sorry for the time it took to update this. To all my loyal readers, thank you for your patience. I hope this chapter and the following ones make up for my lack of updating. **

The meal progressed smoothly, even with Drella's frequent visits to the group to make sure everyone had what they needed. Wena and Uhura had joined the group and conversation came easy, as usual.

"So, is food the only thing planned for tonight?" Kirk asked, curious and dreading an answer in the positive.

Wena smiled knowingly at him. "Not to worry, Captain. You'll get your beauty sleep tonight. Tomorrow night, though, is a different story."

"Oh really?" He asked, interested.

Nia rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah." Wena replied. "It's anticipated that the work will get done by early afternoon, and then the games will begin."

"The games?" McCoy asked.

By this time all three women were smirking, Uhura having been told earlier of what the colony's leadership was planning.

"Don't you know? It's apparently tradition for Paladians to throw a party when loved ones come home." Uhura supplied.

Nia shook her head. "Drove me crazy every time. At least this time, it won't be for just me it'll be for everyone who returned home from the desert planet."

"From what was this tradition contrived?" Spock asked.

"From Palad's first mission into the 'outer heavens'." Nia answered.

"Outer heavens?" Kirk was surprised by the term.

Uhura gave him a look. "It's what the Paladian word for 'space' literally translates to."

"Exactly." Nia said. She shrugged. "Anyways, our history has it that the first mission was perilous for the small crew taking part. It was not expected that they would return. The team did return, however, and then the day after they touched down the whole planet celebrated." She took a bite, chewed, swallowed. "Or that's what we are told, by any means. The information is nearly a millennia in age."

Kirk nodded in understanding. "Now when people return home…"

"The families celebrate." Nia finished for him.

Wena savored a sip of her drink. The juice it was made with was hard to find on planets lacking in the optimal temperature range, and the demand simply wasn't high enough on Earth for farmers to gain any profit from the fruit trees. Clearing her throat, she said "Since there are so many families celebrating, the governor decided to just hold one large celebration. After the games, there will be another meal like this one and some singing and dancing."

"Which I will not take part in." Nia stated, firmly enough that the others present realized this was a prior discussion being addressed.

"Yes, you will." Wena insisted, confirming the thought. "Grego is more than capable of carrying you around."

"No, I won't." Nia returned. "Being carried is not the same as dancing." She waved a utensil in Wena's direction. "And being carried is for children. I'm not a child and I can't dance. Therefore, I'm not dancing."

Leaning forward, Wena pointed out, "But you want to. If you didn't want to, you wouldn't have bothered to come up with reason, you would just say so."

"Right, but who was the one who knocked over the table and candles on top of it which caught the curtains of my family home of fire?" Nia raised her eyebrows as she waited for an answer.

While Wena struggled for a comeback, Kirk leaned forward.

"You did what?" He asked. He couldn't have heard that right.

Nia's face turned a brilliant pink. "Can we forget I ever said that?"

McCoy and Uhura started laughing, while Kirk patted Nia's shoulder. "Sorry, sweetheart. I don't think anyone is capable of forgetting that. I am definitely going to keeping any and all open flames away from you."

Nia gaped at him, offended. "Excuse me, but I am perfectly capable of handling an open flame. I have even done so on your ship."

"Say what?"

This time, Spock spoke in her defense. "This is true. Open flame is needed for some experiments and Nia has proven herself capable when handling such a tool." He was quiet for a moment. "However, the same does not seem to be applicable for dirt or sand."

"That was only on- twice!" She stumbled over her explanation. "I just spilled a little dirt. It got cleaned up, didn't it?" The harassed scientist shook her head. "I think I hate you all."

"Then your thinking is incorrect." Spock replied, much to everyone else's amusement.

Wena had to put a hand to her side to ease the stitch she'd developed from laughing. "Well, at the very least you'll be going out there to dance once, even if I have to get Spock's help to do so." The half-Paladian winked at the half-Vulcan, even though she knew he wouldn't get it.

"Oh really and why is that?" Kirk asked before Nia could voice yet another protest. Nia glance at him was rather perturbed.

"Because tomorrow won't be just about celebrating our loved ones return, but also respecting those who didn't." Wena stated matter-of-factly. "The list of names has been posted, and because of the direct cause of the resettling in the first place, two additional names have been added."

Nia suddenly slumped in her seat, all protest dying in her form. "Oh." Was all she said.

"Oh wow." Uhura muttered. "Henry's name had been added, hasn't it?"

Wena nodded as Nia leaned her arms on the table.

"Who did it?" Nia asked.

Wena knew just how much Nia was asking. "Your parents, who else?"

Nia's brief chuckle was humorless. "Who else, indeed?" She sighed and sat up straight. "That still isn't a guarantee for me to dance."

With narrow eyes, Wena evaluated her stubborn friend. That argument was weak, and they both knew it. Just like how they both knew that if she didn't dance it would be taken as a sign of disrespect not just for her deceased husband, and then a shadow would be cast on new relationship with Spock. Both women knew Nia would be a part of the celebrations, and for more than a single song. Even if she broke a toe doing so, Nia was going to prove herself to her peers.

Looking a little disgruntled, McCoy asked "Why is dancing such a big deal?"

Wena saw where that question was going. "Don't worry, it's not required for everybody. It's just…" Wena's eyes drifted over to Nia. "I don't know how to explain it without sounding like your people are crazy."

Nia glared at her half-heartedly. "They are your people too." She sighed. "But I see your point. Alright, after a person dies, there is a celebration on the second year anniversary of their death. This is for the family, to allow themselves to be released from the grief of their loss."

"While that's the nice way to put it, the reality of it is that if the family doesn't respect this time period then they are considered emotionally weak and clearly unable to move on from their grief in an acceptable time frame." Wena told the others.

"Oh that's really not a good way to put it." Nia was tempted to drop her head in her arms. After living with humans for so many years, Nia had an idea as to how they thought.

Kirk looked between the two women. "I'm still lost." He said, looking at his other companions.

Spock seemed to be the only one to have a semblance of understanding. "Your husband died two years ago." He stated to Nia. "I was not aware the anniversary had passed."

"It passed on the way here." She told him quietly.

Considering the significance of the date for her people, Spock did not understand her inaction. "Why did you not say so?"

Nia looked at him surprised and then her expression turned sheepish. "Considering the setting, I did not find it to be a relevant topic."

"Do you have to do this thing tomorrow?" Kirk asked, waving his hand around in the air as he said 'thing'.

Nia turned to him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"We may be human" McCoy glanced at Spock "and Vulcan, but we understand grief. If you aren't ready for something like this then you don't have to do it." Left unspoken was the fact that she had their support.

It was because of the odd tension she felt, but couldn't see emanating from Spock, that it finally clicked in Nia's head.

She shook her head vigorously. "No that's not it! I just didn't think it was that big of a deal. Come on, you guys are human! I didn't think you'd understand the significance of the custom. And I was still relatively new to the ship." Spock's tension increased beside her.

"Significance?" Kirk sputtered.

McCoy growled at her "We aren't a group of tools for brains."

Uhura reached across the table to pat Nia's hand. "Sweetie, you're a part of the crew and that makes you family."

"Exactly." Kirk said. "We could have done something. Maybe not on the scale you were expecting, but still."

Not willing to look at any of them, Nia raised an eyebrow at Wena, very annoyed. "This is _your_ fault."

No longer able to keep a straight face, Wena started giggling madly. The others of the group stared at her baffled until she finally gained control of herself. Nia just watched her expectantly, drumming her fingers on the table.

"For-for a widow or widower to celebrate" she fought back another round of giggles. "To celebrate the second-year is to announce that they are ready to-," a snort escaped her lips, "to date!" Unable to keep it together any longer, Wena dissolved into laughter, patting her legs hard.

"To _court_." Nia corrected. "Humans date." She delicately ran a hand over her hair. "You can see how having to explain that might have been a little bit awkward."

"Oh yeah." Kirk said. "Announcing it's ok in your people's eyes to date, and then having a party for it? Yeah, can't see how that would have been weird. Especially if Matt got invited."

Wena's recently regained cool was completely lost as everyone but Spock joined in on the laughter this time. Even Nia couldn't deny the humor. She knew she and Spock were never going to live that one down.

When she stopped laughing, long before the others did, Nia lightly grazed her fingers along Spock's left hand. "Henry was my husband. He was important to me. The date of his death is not what was significant of his life. Tomorrow, I will celebrate the way he lived, and I will celebrate the joy he brought to me." Taking a chance, she gripped his hand tightly. "I will not dwell on him. I loved him, but he died and I can no more hang on to him than I can command the movement of the stars across the sky." She held her breath for a moment. "Spock, you are important and that is the other part of what tomorrow is about."

Subtly, he flipped his hand underneath hers. He applied gentle pressure with his fingers, slowly gripping her hand back. "Such a mindset," he seemed to hesitate and Nia held her breath, "is logical."

Fighting the urge to sigh in relief, Nia let the breath out slowly. "I'm glad you think so." She said with a soft smile.

And just like that the moment was over. They released each other's hands and returned to the conversation before them.

Later in the evening, Nia and Wena found their way to Nia's parents' home. The small house was one of several outside of the temporary housing. More were being put up each day, and the ratio would be greater with the greater number of hands now available to help.

When they arrived, Drella made sure 'her girls' were comfortable in the makeshift beds in the small living room.

Exhausted, Nia settled down without complaint, said goodnight to her parents and to Wena, and shut her eyes to help her brain shut out the world.

_Crack!_

Nia's eyes snapped open. When she didn't hear the sound again, she closed her eyes. She started to drift off.

_Snap! Crack._

This time Nia lifted her head up and looked around. _What the…?_ She thought.

_Pop!_

Looking around wildly, Nia tried to find the source of the sound. _Houses sometimes make noise. It's probably just the house. Just lay your head back down and go to sleep. _She tried to tell herself, going so far as to lay her head back down and shut her eyes. She couldn't quite get her body to relax, though.

_Crack crack!_

Heart pounding, and unable to take it anymore, Nia asked Wena in a harsh whisper "Did you hear that?"

Wena pulled the cover away from her face. "What?" She hissed back.

"That noise. Did you hear it?"

"No. What noise?" Wena asked, baffled.

Both women were quiet as they listened.

_Crack!_

"There! That! That noise!" Nia whispered as loud as she could.

"Wait, shush, I didn't hear it." Wena replied.

_Snap!_

Wena looked at Nia, eyes wide "I heard it!"

"You see! What is that?"

"I don't know. Is someone walking around?"

Nia shook her head. "I don't think so."

_Crack!_

"Ok, that's really starting to drive me crazy. What is that?" Not knowing definitely wasn't helping her heart rate. She heard the sound one more time.

_Snap!_

"That's too weird." Wena said.

"You're telling me." Nia replied.

The room was silent for a few moments.

It was silent for a few moments more.

Just when Nia was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she was imagining it and had influenced Wena to hear it too, she heard a soft "Dang" from Wena.

"What is it?" Nia asked, a little worried.

"I ran out of toes to crack and my fingers never do." She replied.

Nia went completely still. "Why, you little…" With as much force as she could muster, Nia hurled her pillow at her deceitful friend. The resulting "Oof!" was highly satisfying. "I can't believe you! I can't believe _me_!"

Wena held her pillow over her face as she laughed and laughed. Pulling it away, she informed Nia "You aren't getting your pillow back."

"Oh the heck I'm not!" Nia made to get up to retrieve her pillow and for her efforts was hit in the face with her own pillow.

With a huff, Nia settled back down. "You're lucky I'm so tired or I'd come over there and kick your butt."

"Promises, promises."

Nia could hear the grin in Wena's voice.

Both felt the mood of the room change. Like the flicking of a switch, the mirth flipped to apprehension.

Nia knew what Wena was going to ask before she did.

"You trust Kirk, right?"

"Yep. Pike too."

"They won't, like, do anything stupid, will they?"

Nia just looked at her. "I think their track record answers that question." At Wena's glance, Nia stated "Yes, they will do something stupid. Do they have a high chance of getting themselves and us killed? Yeah, they do. Do I think that's going to happen? Now that's another question entirely." Nia settled down on her back, her words directed at the ceiling as she continued speaking. "We are going to get through this."

"Even though someone at Starfleet is siding with Chancellor Narsow?"

She nodded. "Even though someone at Starfleet is siding with Narsow."

"Even though your home is being slowly destroyed and eaten away?"

"Even though Palad is in danger, yes."

"Even though the data I stole has absolutely no logical meaning for anyone who has looked at it and the one person who could have explained it is dead as far as we know?"

"Even though it seems hopeless, we are going to get through this."

Wena was quiet for a moment. "Even though I lied?"

Nia looked at her and smiled softly. "Even then, too."

Wena looked away. "Do we have a plan?"

Snorting, Nia shrugged. "Not much to plan. Kirk fully debriefed Pike, who is figuring things out on his end. In the mean time, you now have a possibly permanent position on the _Enterprise-_"

"Which McCoy is totally happy about."

"Right, 'cause who wouldn't want to deal with a stubborn, bull-headed female on a daily basis?"

"Hey!"

Ignoring Wena's protest, Nia continued. "Now, based on all that, our only option is to deal with things as they happen, but I'm not worried. I have several great reasons. Number one, you and the research have to be kept safe. Number two, I trust Kirk and his A-team with my life and I fully acknowledge that he is a little crazy. Number three, and this is the most important: our biggest concern is that we are going to be working on the same starship."

Nia was quiet for a moment to let that last statement sink in.

Fighting a smile, Wena said "I hope they weren't expecting the safety deposit back."

Nia giggled. "Kirk and Scotty are already on board, not to mention the Russian whiz-kid, an Asian sword-fighter, a half-Vulcan first officer, and the fiercest xenolinguist I have ever known. And that's just the bridge crew. Lieutenant Casey from Engineering is a force all her own and Keenser, oh man, Keenser is a hoot. He climbs everything like a Paladian on stimulants." With a snort, Nia shook her head. "I think it has been a foregone conclusion that the _Enterprise_ was going to get in trouble. We, well you, have just added to that possibility."

Wena was silent for a while. "What do you think Pike is going to decide?"

"Honestly, I imagine that he's going to want Nikolai and his group to be brought into Starfleet custody on Earth. There they can be questioned in a somewhat secure setting. Which means the _Enterprise_ will be returning to Earth." Nia concluded.

"That's a long trip. It'll take a while. You think we'll make it?" Wena asked, anxiety beginning to creep in on her thoughts again. The subject had been plaguing her all day, despite the captain's reassurances and request that she behave as if everything were normal. Wena had wanted to laugh at him for that. Normal? What about any of this was normal? At least he'd checked her story by pulling Mig, Nethi, Jacek and Grego all aside to get their version of events. So far, Wena hadn't heard any complaints.

Except for Nethi. He was terrified that she had said anything. His wife was pregnant, and he was going to be stuck on a planet with limited resources available to him, should anything go wrong. It didn't matter to him that Mig, Jacek and Grego were all staying also. Because of Wena's involvement, she and Nia were the only ones authorized to return to Earth.

Not entirely aware to what was happening in her friend's mind, Nia finally responded "I don't know if anything will happen on the way, but we are going to get back to Earth. Somehow, some way, we are going to get there."

"Ok." Was all Wena said in response. She couldn't argue with Nia's conviction, knew it would be pointless.

Sighing, Nia rolled over and jerked her covers up to her chin. "Now go to sleep and keep in mind that tomorrow, we are going to have a blast."

"And _you_ are going to dance."

"Yeah, yeah, just try it."


	33. Chapter 32

**Here's another chapter for you all! This one is much longer than most of my other chapters, but I really couldn't find a good place to end this. **

He couldn't tell if the work load was really so light, or if the excitement for the coming festivities pushed everyone to finish faster, finish sooner. Either way, Kirk found himself looking forward to the events.

For most of the day he had stuck with Scotty and some of the other engineers to do odd jobs as needed. He hadn't really taken a moment to totally absorb the scenery.

He'd seen the trees, all around and intermingled amongst the colony's buildings. It was apparent the Paladians were trying to minimize space and the number of trees they had to cut down. When the shorter work day ended, Kirk realized that he'd had the opposite of "couldn't see the forest for the trees". The captain had seen the forest, but hadn't seen the trees…or noticed just how tall they were.

Similar to the redwoods of Earth and taller than anything Kirk had ever witnessed, the trees were a sight to behold. When he took the time to notice them, of course. A faint mist clung to the air around the trees and even in the camps. Kirk almost couldn't believe just how green everything was. Mosses clung to low hanging tree branches and the trees themselves had heavy, dark green leaves the likes of which he'd never known on Earth.

When the work day ended, Grego told him, "Come, the others are gathering."

"Sure," Kirk said, grinning and patting Grego's shoulder. The blond man had noticed that many of the Paladians frequently touched each other. Small pats on the back and shoulders. Nothing significant, but quite different than the distinct avoidance of contact that Vulcans employ. For some reason (a reason that he could very easily pinpoint), he'd expected the two species to behave similarly. To a certain extent Kirk was proven correct.

To a certain extent.

Following Grego, Kirk and a group from the ship met with a larger group of Paladians gathered around several tall and evenly dispersed trees. From the ground, Kirk could see something small glittering near the tops of the trees. A device of some sort, he guessed.

A feminine chuckle interrupted the captain's observations. Turning, he saw Wena nodding in appreciation, big grin firmly in place.

"You know what this is?" Kirk asked.

"Oh yeah." Wena replied. "Boy, do I."

Catching a familiar sight, Kirk raised his arm and waved. "Spock, over here."

The Vulcan made his way over to them.

"I was just about to ask Wena what's going on." Kirk told him.

Wena rolled her eyes. "You heard that there were going to be games today, right?"

"This is a Paladian game?" Spock asked, his eyes also spotting the glittering device above their heads.

"It is." Wena replied. "The best way to describe it is it's like the lumberjack festivals that occasionally occur on Earth, only the Paladian women have a much bigger role than Terran women."

Kirk was intrigued. "Oh really? So are we going to see you chopping logs like a pro, then?"

To Kirk's disappointment, Wena shook her head. "No, I don't compete. I take on the role of glorified cheerleader."

"For who?" Kirk barely had the chance to ask before three others joined their group.

McCoy walked up from the direction of the hospital, grumbling about Paladians not having the forethought when placing the hospital in between the only two hills present around the colonies structures.

His grumbling went unnoticed as a bickering pair approached from the opposite direction.

"No, I'm not going to take it off."

"It'll just take a moment!"

"A moment that can take place when I'm done with it." Nia pushed away the inquisitive hands running over her vest. "Sto-op!" She whined. "I just got it adjusted the way I wanted it and now you've gone and messed it all up."

She came to a stop next to Spock as she tried in vain to re-adjust the straps of her vest. "Look what you've done!" Nia snapped at the man who had walked up next to her.

Scotty sputtered in response. "Now see here, lass."

It was then Kirk realized that sometime between the walk to the trees and now, Scotty had managed to disappear without his captain noticing.

"It's a standard climbing vest. We don't use ropes like Terrans do, we use these vests instead."

It was similar in look to older styled floatation vests, without the thick padding. It seemed to be made up of three panels, the front two attached to the back panel at the shoulders and by straps extending across her waist line and along the edge of the vest, just above her hips. Additional straps reinforced the connections at her shoulders.

"How does such technology work?" Spock asked. There were no obvious indicators as to the vests use, except the use of ropes was clearly not involved. The lack of any hooking mechanisms proved that fact.

"If I fall, the vest will be activated by the sudden increase in acceleration. A type of inertial dampener will be activated and counter-act any further acceleration. I'll hit the ground with the same force falling from three feet as I would twenty feet." She informed the group with a small smile. "Obviously there is a limit to how much acceleration the dampeners are capable of counteracting, so you can't substitute these for a parachute unfortunately."

Scotty caught Kirk's eye. "I'd really like to get my hands on one of these. Despite what the lass says, I'd like to take a look at the technology myself. The shoes too."

"Scotty!" Nia snapped as the others looked down at her footwear.

Kirk was the first to find his voice. "That's different." He offered.

Elbowing the captain hard, Uhura glared at him.

He hissed at her. "What? She wears human shoes all the time! Forgive me for being surprised."

Wena rolled her eyes. "And you're having a good reaction. This is why I'm glad my human genes dominated."

Chapel, and McCoy merely shook their heads as Scotty had the grace to look abashed and Spock…

"Fascinating."

Risking a glance up at him, Nia was surprised to find the Vulcan staring at her feet with slightly widened eyes. Reflexively, her toes curled and the opposable thumbs tucked themselves discreetly underneath the arch of her foot before the long digits flexed out again. A delicate brown webbing covered the top of her feet and a thin rubberized sole covered her foot from heel to the very tips of her toes.

"This is an adaptation better enabling you to climb?" Spock asked.

"Yes." She said. "The shoes are a relatively new design. The rubber sole is very thin to maximize movement capabilities, but has been specially modified to grip rock and bark equally well and to be able to withstand the typical wear and tear." She looked up at Scotty and said "I told you I'll give you this one when I'm done with it."

"You will be participating in the day's festivities." Spock concluded upon hearing her last statement. After her stubborn refusal to dance the previous day, Spock was unsure whether he would find her willing to engage in the tradition of 'games'.

"That I am." Her grin was a bit more devious than most of the others were used to seeing.

Wena gave her an answering grin. "Defending your title?"

"Aren't I always?"

"Title?" McCoy asked.

With a chuckle, Wena replied "Oh you didn't know Nia here is a champion climber? Everyone who is better than her is still on Palad."

"Or dead." Nia included.

"Or dead." Wena agreed.

"Dead?" This time is was Chapel who asked, her tone a little incredulous.

Nia shrugged. "Old age, or climbing accidents. There are places that even a Paladian can't climb."

"This isn't one of them, right?" McCoy asked, wary.

She turned and looked up at the tree tops. "Shouldn't be a problem. Looks like a typical competition to me." Nia scanned the crowd. "Oh look, everyone is starting to gather. Come on, let's join them."

The group migrated closer to where the competition was going to be held and arranged themselves in a haphazard order in a larger semi circle the rest of the gathered Paladians and crewmembers formed. More were still arriving and seating had been arranged for those who only wished to view the games. Those who were not as interested in the games migrated to the large tent set up for food.

"There are a lot of people here." Wena muttered.

"The settlers did increase the population by only a fourth." McCoy stated dryly and received an equally dry _look_ for his efforts.

Nia just shrugged. "It's nice that so many turned out for the celebrations. I'm glad there is a large enough area to hold them. Though, the stadium seating looks a little patchy."

Grego appeared at Nia's elbow. "The seating is only temporary. Aesthetics were not involved in its design."

Surveying the group, Nia frowned. "Alright, so small groups of friends and family can stay with the competitors on the ground level, but the thing is… this group isn't small." She looked over their faces.

"I'm staying." Wena was instantly stuck to Nia's side, tone allowing for no argument.

Nia grinned. "I wouldn't expect anything else. What about you?" The Paladian asked Spock. Before he could answer, Nia caught movement in the corner of her eye. Jerking her elbow back, Nia caught Wena in the ribs to stop her signaling to the Vulcan.

The brunette yelped. "Ow! What?"

Ignoring the short interaction, Spock replied "I will stay."

"Good." Nia gave him a soft smile. "Now, a couple others can stay, but then the rest of you can go sit with the masses."

Kirk chewed his lip and debated. Uhura looked pleadingly at him. Sighing, he asked "Hey Spock, think you can handle being the only male in this group?"

The male in question merely raised an eyebrow at the question.

Realizing he wasn't going to get an answer, Kirk slapped McCoy's shoulder. "Come on. Let's go before the good seats get taken."

Scotty joined them, grumbling about getting his hands on one of the vests.

Chapel and Uhura grinned at Nia. In a short amount of time, the group near the trees was significantly smaller.

"So how does this work? Do they have a roster for when you get to compete?" Uhura asked.

Nia's smile twisted and her cheeks turned a faint pink. "Not exactly," She told her.

The rest of her answer was cut off when an announcer appeared in the center of the small field. The crowd fell quiet and the man's voice carried as he called out a statement that resulted in cheering.

Uhura turned to Spock. "He said it's time for the tree competition and the first challenge to be issued."

Spock nodded and asked Nia, "How is a challenge issued?"

She didn't answer, her eyes locked on an approached female in a vest identical to the one Nia was adorned in. This female appeared to be the same age as Nia, with dark grey hair. Her build was equally slender as Nia's, though the woman was taller.

The look on the unknown female's face was playful as she approached. When the woman was about ten feet away from Nia, she touched her collarbone in greeting. The only difference was that the woman's palm was twisted to face outwards. Then, she lowered into a half-crouch with her arms thrust wide and hissed at Nia.

Spock eyes darted between Nia and the unknown woman, unsure how to respond. Given the events that occurred with Jacek, Spock was uncertain if there were any actions expected of him. He was unprepared for Nia's solution to the problem.

Body mirroring the challenging woman's, Nia hissed back.

Both women stood and grinned as hooting and hollering could be heard from the watching crowd. The announcer called out again as the pair clasped the other's forearm briefly before turning and placing themselves in front of the two tallest trees.

Wena glanced at Uhura. "And _that's_ how a challenge is issued."

"Who is she?" Uhura asked.

"I think that's Myla, another great climber. I've never met her, but Nia's mentioned her a few times. Apparently she's got a wicked sense of humor." Wena smirked.

"So they're friends?" The blonde beside her asked.

Wena frowned then smiled knowingly at the nurse. "Oh yeah. All these competitions are friendly, the hissing and posturing is just how they do things. Kind of like they are fighting to defend their honor, only not."

Uhura nodded. "Kind of like when your best friend is rooting for your team's rival, and you pretend they're the enemy, but really they're not."

"Exactly." Wena said.

"I get it." Chapel grinned.

Spock did not.

The communications officer glanced at Spock. Looking away quickly, Uhura's jaw clenched as she fought to keep her face blank. She could imagine that Kirk's company was looking rather appealing by now.

She made eye contact with Chapel and both women struggled to stifle the giggles fighting to be heard.

Spock decided his involvement in the women's conversation was not necessary and directed his attention to where Nia and Myla were standing. Both women were gazing into the trees, most likely determining the best route to the device attached to the trunk far above their heads.

A short distance away, the announcer called out a command. The women stepped away from their chosen trees and took similar stances. The man raised his hand and fired what appeared to be a modified phaser. The ball of light emitted lazily arced in the air as the echoing _snap! _signaled the start of the race.

Wena trilled as loud as she could as Nia hoisted herself up to the first branch. "Come on guys, it's ok to show your support!" She enthusiastically told the others, waving her hands in encouragement.

Uhura and Chapel showed no hesitation in adding their own cries to Wena's as their Paladian friend competed.

Spock, however, was far more reluctant to do so and was quite satisfied with patiently watching.

Wena noticed. "Spock, that did include you." Despite his obvious reluctance, the half-Paladian found herself unwilling to give the man a break.

The response made her eyes roll. "I fail to see how vocal support will aid Nia in her endeavor."

"It proves you support which gives her confidence, which then helps her win." She told him all this with a little flourish of her hands, as if presenting the racing Paladian as evidence.

Quiet, he glanced at Wena before returning his gaze to Nia.

Nia was almost halfway up the tree, with Myla keeping pace beside her.

When no response seemed forthcoming, Wena allowed herself to smirk.

Only to have her ego bruised when the Vulcan _did_ open his mouth.

"While there is merit in your words, I do not believe that Nia's confidence to be so fragile as to be damaged by the lack of such a display. Unless, or course," the look he gave her was as equally bland as his voice, "you have evidence proving otherwise."

Wena caught her tongue between her teeth and forcefully turned her eyes away from him. "Whatever." _I finally have something in common with McCoy. Oh joy. _Letting loose a piercing whistle, she cried out, "Come on, Nia! Get that skinny butt moving!"

High in the branches of the alien redwood, Nia rolled her eyes so hard she almost lost her balance. _My friends, I swear…_

The peripherals to her left told Nia that Myla was unwilling to give up without a fight. Fine by her. A little competition was always good.

Attempting to boost her speed, Nia added a little bounce to her steps as she lefted herself to the left branch. Metal glittered brightly above her.

_Almost there._

Down below, Kirk shook his head in amazement. "I didn't think anyone but a character from a fantasy book could climb like that."

"You're telling me." McCoy responded. "Reminds me of a book I read as a boy."

Scotty grinned. "Aye, I know what you're on about. That book with the different races fighting a big battle, right? You're thinking of those immortal folk." The engineer looked around speculatively. "Now that I think of it, these fair-colored folk look just like 'em."

Kirk's eyes were drawn to a passing Paladian. Bright green caused him to look down. "Except for the feet," he commented.

Scotty followed his look. "Aye." He agreed. "I cannae imagine why I missed it before. Wasn't 'til I heard sum'un yammering about the new shoe design that I even thought to look down."

The trio fell silent as they continued watching the race.

McCoy quietly sighed. He was only half watching the race, but the tension that had been present in Kirk's shoulders the previous day had yet to ease up. Leaning over, he whispered "We need to talk."

Kirk frowned. "Why Bones, do you need to breakup with me?"

Glaring, McCoy grumbled, "Don't even start. You've been on edge since before we even stepped foot on this planet. I've been waiting for you to either get over it or explain what's got your knickers in a twist."

Whatever Kirk was about to say in response was cut off as a cheer rang through the crowd.

"Nia won!" Kirk cried out in surprise. He looked away from the doctor with a small shake of his head.

McCoy let the conversation drop, knowing the stubborn look in Kirk's eyes. The doctor would let it go for now.

Hearing the sounds of the crowd in the stands, Nia let pride fill her as she maintained her grip on the device she had scrambled to reach.

The gleaming metal shined underneath her palm, the disk being the diameter of a dinner plate and only a couple inches thick. As soon as Nia touched it, her racing time was recorded. Now, as she held on tightly with one hand, the device's programming linked with her vest's programming. Delicately, she was pulled clear of the longest branches and slowly lowered back to the grassy covering of the field.

Once her feet made contact with the ground her weight shifted away from the device, the programming was deactivated and the device returned to the top of the tree once Nia released it. Nia turned to find where her supporters stood.

Suddenly, she was knocked harshly to the side, only to have her vest activate faster than she could react to the unknown force. The bands constricted around her as her torso was kept right and her feet scrambled to find footing supportive of the sudden increase in weight.

Standing nearby, Spock took in sight of Nia's frozen torso and flailing legs, and was reminded of a street show he once witnessed. He believed a marionette was what the showman used.

Not noticing him, Nia tried to breath past the arms constricting her shoulders and reducing her lung capacity.

"You won, you won, you won…!" Wena babbled in one of Nia's ears.

"Yep." She wheezed. "Wena, I can't breathe." No response. "Wena…"

"You won! I can't believe you won! I mean, not like, _can't_ because I totally _knew_ you would, but-"

"Wena, I love you."

"Aw, I love you too."

"Wena?"

"Yeah?"

"I still can't breathe."

The half-Paladian was quiet for a moment before she gave Nia an extra hard squeeze. "But you still love me."

Nia would have chuckled if she could, but instead she attempted to return the embrace as well as she could. "Yeah, I do." She pulled back. "Now, while I am loving the love, there are others who want to congratulate me, and I'm starting to get a little light-headed from the lack of oxygen."

Wena squeezed tighter for a moment before letting go. Nia shook her head, trying to clear the spots from her eyes as Uhura and Chapel came up to embrace her.

"You did great."

"Thank you, Christine." Nia told the blonde nurse.

Uhura's smile was bright as she stated, "_Your feet moved as if flying._"

Laughing, Nia blushed as she hugged the younger woman. "I don't know if I deserve the use of such a lovely phrase from my childhood, but I more than appreciate the sentiment."

"While this was merely a competition for entertainment purposes," Spock's voice cut across the others' attention and drew four sets of eyes to him, "you completed the endeavor admirably."

Chapel gaped while Wena smirked.

"Why, Commander, did you just compliment Nia?"

Briefly, Spock contemplated the fact that Nia's friend was as persistent as Kirk. He did not find himself surprised and merely raised an eyebrow at the woman. "I was merely stating a fact."

Nia, ignoring Wena's pout, shared a knowing look with Uhura before she stated "It's a good fact."

He nodded to her before his eyes were drawn behind her. She turned.

Three Paladian men stood behind her. When she turned, they raised their hands to rest against their collar bones, palms twisted outwards as if preparing to strike. They made no other move.

"What's going on?" Chapel asked.

"I won, so I lose right of challenge. These gentlemen are informing me of their desire to be my next challenger." Nia told her.

The group stayed quiet for a moment, the Starfleet individuals waiting for her to continue her explanation. Instead, they watched as she apparently picked the leanest of the three males, and crouched down to pull her lips back in a canine-baring hiss.

The man grinned briefly before responding in kind.

Confused, Chapel asked, "What just happened?"

"Nia set the standard, or really is the standard, and if anyone wants a chance at the first place title they have to challenge her and win." Wena informed her. "To keep any first place holder from strong arming the competition and winning on a technicality, the first place holder is the only position that can't challenge. The first place holder must be _challenged_."

"So she can't pick out the weakest individuals and keep away anyone who might beat her." Chapel surmised. "Not that Nia would, but hypothetically."

"Exactly." Wena confirmed.

"Do they really hiss at each other every time?"

"Christine!" Uhura tried to give the other woman a quelling look.

The nurse just rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Nyota. Wena knows I didn't mean anything by that. I'm just honestly curious. It seems like a lot of dramatics for a competition."

Wena snorted. "Yeah well, look to thine own species first. Haven't you ever been to a human sporting competition?"

"Good point."

Uhura laughed.

Desiring to change the subject, Spock asked, "Dr. Verde, do you know Nia's strategy behind selecting from her challengers?"

"Oh, um, well," Wena fumbled for words. She wasn't expecting the question so she wasn't sure where to start.

A distance away, Scotty and Kirk were engaged in a similar discussion.

"Wouldn't she want to pick the chap she is less likely to beat first?" Scotty asked, baffled. "Look at those shoulder muscles, he's got to be a great climber!" He exclaimed, gesturing to one of the males that Nia hadn't picked.

The young captain shook his head at the engineer, chuckling. "That's actually a common misconception among non-climbers." He crossed his arms, watching as Nia wasted no time in leaping to the first branch. "So muscle is heavier than fat, right? And, you need muscle instead of fat to climb, right? But, if you have too much muscle, then you are no better off in a climb than if you had a little excess fat."

"So by choosing the skinny guy, she chose the biggest challenge?"

McCoy piped in. "If there had been a female in the group, she would have picked her first. That's why Myla challenged her first. As it is," the doctor pointed to the other race taking place at the same time "Myla is fighting to keep second place."

Scotty frowned. "Now, I don't know anatomy too well, but shouldn't a male be a greater challenge anyways? Less body fat, as a gender standard?"

Wena giggled at Spock's pointed question. "Actually that's a common misconception other species have when competing against Paladians." She grinned brightly at him. "Females are typically better climbers, and that is directly related to their physiology. Paladian males are capable of putting on a lot of muscle, and unlike most other species, Paladian females _can't_. Don't get me wrong," She said in response to Uhura's and Chapel's surprised looks. "Females can tone down quite well and be very strong. Yet, they don't bulk up since their bodies have a limited muscle capacity. So competitive climbers that are female have an advantage on that they don't have to watch their muscle mass, only their fat mass."

"While Paladian males have to watch both. Statistically, this would leave the males at a disadvantage as one would find overweight males due to fat and muscle, while one would only find overweight females due to fat."

Wena nodded at Spock then caught Chapel shaking her head. Taking pity on the nurse, Wena told her "I know, it makes little sense, but that's just how it works. It works from an evolutionary perspective too. Only the weakest individuals and the strongest males would be left on the ground when there was danger."

"So the males could fight and protect their families, who were in the trees?"

Wena nodded.

With a sigh, the nurse seemed to accept the new information. "So, does too fat include pregnant women? Do they climb as well? They must, if only the bulkiest males stayed on the ground." The nurse looked around, trying to spot Layla. She had noticed the pregnant Paladian was slimmer than most humans were, and that her fretting husband didn't let her do much.

Wena shrugged as she tried to give an answer. "They _can_ in emergencies, but they usually don't as a rule. Too dangerous."

"So then how-?"

Wena cut her off, knowing what she was thinking. "For starters the added weight of pregnancy adds extra fatigue on the woman. Nearer to birth, climbing is impossible. Early in the pregnancy, there is a lot of danger if the woman falls from the tree. Falls aren't uncommon, at all. Paladian's may be gracefully climbers and their ancestors may have lived in the trees, but that means nothing when it comes to a pregnant woman."

Spock seemed to be the only one who understood what that meant. "Surely there were caves or outcrops available to provide safety?"

"Yes, there were."

"And would that not lead to domestication? A need for a permanent home or shelter for the pregnant women."

Wena smirked. "Yep. That's what their anthropologists and historians believe, anyways. Paladians started off as nomads, just like the humans. The end to their nomadic ways was just a little bit different."

"So Paladians should be used to walking on level ground?" Uhura asked with a sly look at Chapel.

"Most are. As I'm sure you've noticed, Nia isn't."

The women giggled.

An odd thought came to Uhura. "How do Paladian women tell if they are pregnant? I've heard they don't have a noticeable menstrual cycle?"

If Spock's ears didn't turn green around the edges, Wena was going to eat her socks. "That's right they don't." Briefly she looked a little wistful. Her human genes overruled her Paladian ones in that particular situation. "It's actually the males who can tell first."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, it's actually kind of cool. They have special scent receptors that pick up of the pheromones a pregnant female will put off. It's not like males have super noses either. They just can tell."

"That's… pretty wild."

"It is. Usually they figure out what it means too, but if the man doesn't the woman's first sign of being pregnant is having a suddenly super protective husband following her around _everywhere_ she goes." Wena told her.

"Is that why Nethi is so protective around Layla?" Uhura asked.

Oh, Wena could tell. Spock was trying not to listen, or appear he wasn't listening, but Wena could tell. Those pointed ears were picking up every word. "Yes." Wena replied. "That's exactly why. Though he's pretty mellow compared to others I've seen. In fact, Nia could probably-" And Wena snapped her mouth shut. _Great, now you've done it._

"Nia could what?"

Wena shook her head, annoyed with herself. It wasn't her story to tell, but now that she'd opened her mouth she really had no choice but to hope she could hedge around explaining. "Brothers and cousins can get protective too. I'm sure that's something you've also noticed with Jacek and his defense of Nia and Spock's honor."

"Ah, Jacek and Grego have a sister?"

"What? Oh." Wena shook her head. "They don't."

"So it was a cousin Jacek got protective over?" Chapel asked. Something was off by the way Wena was acting.

With a thin smile, Wena nodded her head.

Chapel stared at her. "Oh." She said. "Oh." She got it.

Looking away, Wena turned just in time to watch Nia surpass the lean male.

"So, Paladians are big on honor then?" Uhura asked to break up the sudden awkward silence.

The half-Paladian nodded. "Yes, very much so."

"If you don't mind me saying, I've previously thought there were similarities between Paladians and Klingons. Particularly their sense of honor." Uhura stated.

Chapel shifted uncomfortably as Wena stayed silent for longer than necessary.

"You know," the doctor said, "I've never made that connection before. Though, I think a better connection would be the Klingons to the Huns or Vikings and the Paladians to Samurai or even Native Americans."

Uhura smiled, relieved she hadn't offended the other woman. "Yeah, I can see that."

"While honor is not always logical, it could still be found on Vulcan, particularly amongst the older families." Spock told the women.

Wena sighed. "Not always logical? Yeah, that sounds about. A lack of honor leads to worse trouble."

Again the group fell into silence. Chapel broke it again with a question to Uhura, but neither Spock nor Wena joined in on the subsequent conversation. Instead the doctor quietly watched the half-Vulcan. She wondered if he caught what Chapel did.

His head turned very slightly, as if he caught her perusal.

_Yeah, he caught it. I'm so dead when Nia finds out._

* * *

_A/N Hopefully I didn't overload you with information on Nia's culture. Do any of you know what the secret is? Feel free to review your guess! _

_Thank you to all who have reviewed and followed and favorited this story. Don't worry, I'm not anywhere near done. Next two chapters and things are going to seriously pick up XD_


	34. Chapter 33

**For this chapter, I listened to a certain playlist. I always listen to this playlist when writing, but really this chapter has been in my head in one form or another and was inspired by this music. The entire Paladian culture was and so to experience what music drives me and thus the Paladians you can listen 'with me' here: htpp:/www. youtube playlist?list=PL124E1666A3AF3186 (with no spaces of course). **

**Many thanks to my beta, TheWindowView. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :) **

By the time dinner came around, Nia was plenty worn out. She'd lost a race and as a result lost her first place position to Sunti. Sunti then lost to Kelo, who then lost to Nia as she reclaimed her title. Then she lost her second race to a female named Vaise who then finished out the competition with the most wins. Nia came in second, but was satisfied. It was the closest she had ever come to beating Vaise, Nia's fiercest competition. Nia hadn't even realized that that woman had been on NiPila.

The Paladian scientist hadn't yet pushed to the limits of her endurance either, something she was grateful for at the end of the racing. Otherwise, dancing in the evening might have gotten a little interesting. As it was, Nia cleaned two plates at mealtime before catching Spock discreetly watching her make her way through a third.

Kirk was less discreet as he tried to keep up with her.

Shaking in suppressed laughter, McCoy warned him "I wouldn't do that. Paladians have a healthy appetite on a lazy day, nevermind one where they climbed the same tree ten times."

"Eleven." Nia corrected.

"That didn't count." McCoy responded.

"Of course it did."

"You didn't even go up half way!"

"Only because you gave up."

"I _fell_ off the tree!"

She waved away his statement. "Same difference."

McCoy glared at her as Kirk attempted to both hide his face and muffle his laughter with his shoulder. Nia's face was as straight as Spock's until McCoy turned to the captain and snapped, "Oh shut your gob. It ain't that funny. You didn't do any better against Myla."

Nia giggled. "McCoy, Alabama or Georgia?"

Rolling his eyes, he said, "Georgia. Don't start making fun of my accent now."

She shook her head, chuckling. "Oh please, like I have any room to judge your accent."

Wena agreed. "Yeah, you should have heard her when she first arrived. She sounded like everyone one of the individuals you've spoken to here." She glanced at Nia. "She worked pretty hard to get rid of it."

Uhura leaned forward. "I had wondered why you spoke Standard with so little of an accent. I mean, all races have their own way for speaking Standard."

"See," Nia blushed, "my big reason for getting rid of my accent was, well, Henry." She shrugged. "He enjoyed teaching me how to speak like a Terran."

"And it was an excuse to spend even more time together," Wena pitched in.

"Oh please, we were engaged by that point. As if we needed that excuse." Nia replied. She sighed.

Uhura's expression softened as she misinterpreted the sigh. "Do you miss him?" The dark-skinned woman asked carefully, glancing at Spock as she did so. She saw his jaw twitch, the only sign of his sudden tension.

Nia frowned, not catching the exchange. "Not in the way you would think. He was a good man, a very good man. But he's gone. Nothing can change that. And if nothing can change that, then any time spent yearning for the situation to be different is just a waste of time and my emotional resources."

"What is, is." Uhura stated, glancing again at Spock.

Nia caught it this time, and followed her gaze with a slight frown of confusion. "Yeah, that's a good way to put it."

Noticing Nia's confusion, Uhura smirked. "Vulcans agree."

Delighted, the Paladian turned to the half-Vulcan. "Really?" she asked, interested but finding she wasn't really surprised.

"Uhura is correct." Spock told her. "_Kadith_. What is, is." He supplied.

She smiled. A logical race _would_ find it illogical to spend an exorbitant amount of time dwelling in the past without it pertaining to the future.

Was Nia happy that her husband died? No, of course not. Will she miss him? Yes. Had she moved on? Had she let Henry go?

Yes.

And that night, she would dance to prove it to her kin, blood and non-blood. She would prove it for all who wished to know.

It was not what Spock expected when he learned that Nia would be dancing. Knowing her tendencies on level surfaces, he wondered the wisdom of her choice. He understood the purpose behind it, but truly if walking was managed with difficulty, how much more difficult would dancing be?

As was traditional, the males participating in the evening festivities arrived first. The majority of the tables and chairs had been cleared out after the evening meal, some replaced by wide benches and a wide and large platform elevated only a couple inches off the main floor.

The platform's purpose was easy to deduce as its surface was considerably smoother than the surrounding floor. This would clearly aid in the sliding required in more challenging footwork.

As Spock studied the platform, Jacek joined him.

"Are you prepared to dance tonight?" The Paladian male asked.

"I was not aware I would be expected to participate. I know not of this Paladian custom." Spock informed the male.

Jacek frowned. "Do you not intend to honor the celebration?"

Spock's jaw twitched. "I do not intend to dishonor."

The Paladian's frown deepened and he nearly growled at Spock. "That is no answer."

It was to the Vulcan's great fortune that Kirk appeared just then.

"So, Jacek." He laid a hand on the male's shoulder. "What do we need to know about this event? Nia only gave us the barest details and of course Spock wants to do right by her. I figure you are the best person to ask."

While the statement wasn't entirely accurate, Spock decided not to speak against Kirk. Jacek had calmed considerably after hearing what the captain had to say.

In fact, the Paladian near preened under the captain's comments, chest puffin out as his shoulder raised proudly. "Tonight we celebrate the return of the last settlers, and we do so by dancing. I do not believe this to be dancing you have seen on Earth." His expression turned decidedly sheepish. "Wena was quite startled by her first celebration and has not forgiven me for my part in her embarrassment that night."

"Oh really? We didn't hear about that at dinner." Kirk smirked at Spock. "We heard about Nia nearly catching the curtains on fire."

Jacek chuckled. "Yes, that was an interesting time, but the curtains _did_ catch on fire. It was put out quickly and no one was harmed. In fact, afterwards when Nia was horrifically embarrassed, Drella and Makol found vast amusement in the resulting singe marks."

"That's great. And something special will be happening for Nia, right?" Kirk asked rather pointedly. The Paladian female had given them too little information to satisfy his curiosity.

"Yes, the _calliga_." Jacek looked at Kirk and Spock expectantly.

Spock asked "And what is the _calliga_?"

Eyebrows rising, Jacek looked between Kirk and Spock in surprise. "Oh, I apologize. It is a symbolic dance that is meant to honor the past life of a loved one and the mourning that took place for two years after."

"So it's a dedication?"

"Of a sort. There will be a dedication for those who recently died, but the _calliga_ will be a separate dance. I believe Nia is the only one it will be for." Jacek told them.

Kirk frowned. "But I thought two names were listed for that… _calaga_, was it?"

"_Calliga_."

"_Calliga. _Weren't there two names listed?"

Jacek clearly hesitated "Yes, there are two names."

Kirk waited for Jacek to clarify, but it was Spock who spoke.

"Are both the names Nia's loved ones?" Spock asked, putting together the pieces from the earlier conversation with Wena and the current one with Jacek.

The Paladian male sighed. "Yes, yes they are."

"I don't understand." Kirk stated.

Spock glanced at his captain briefly. "Jacek, for clarification, what are the names and ages of those listed?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected inquiry, Jacek fumbled for a moment. "Um, Henry Sargent was… 29 when he died and Joshua Sargent died as a babe in the womb."

Compassion softened Kirk's features. "That's unfortunate. I'm sorry for your loss."

Jacek shrugged. "I thank you." Jacek turned to Spock. "I am unsurprised that Nia did not tell you. Such a thing is a quiet hurt amongst the women and she will discuss it with you in her own time."

Both men just nodded uncomfortably. It wasn't a topic that could be discussed easily in many cultures.

Lightly tapping Spock's elbow Kirk muttered, "When you get the chance I need to speak with you. Pike contacted me again, had a couple updates."

Spock's eyebrows rose "Indeed?"

When Kirk had first contacted the admiral, the older man had been shocked. Narsow was one of the two Federation Council members that Palad had, and was of great influence. Such illegal actions as Narsow was suspected of committing could cause an abundance of diplomatic troubles for the planet. Promising to look further into the situation and double check Wena's information, Pike had agreed to Kirk's plan to return to Earth with Wena with the agreement that the two keep in contact.

Kirk nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell you more afterwards once we can speak privately, but it looks like we might have another problem to deal with."

"If it is important we should speak now." Spock pressed.

Shaking his head, Kirk told him "If we leave now, the wrong person might notice. It's better to wait."

More might have been said, but a noise behind the men distracted them. Turning, they discovered the source.

The females had arrived.

Uhura reached them first. Kirk was surprised to find her dressed according to Paladian custom. Her skirt was long to the top of her ankles, revealing the Starfleet boots she wore underneath. The high waist of the skirt was covered by a red blouse with long gossamer sleeves patterned brightly in fiery orange, yellow, and gold. Her makeup and hair were done to her normal standards, though.

"Looking good, Uhura." Kirk said, as his voice came back.

She smiled cheekily at him. "Thank you, Kirk." Her dark eyes glanced at Spock, then back at Kirk. "Wait until you see the others." She told him as McCoy sidled up next to the blond captain.

Kirk grinned and turned to Spock to make a comment, only to find the other man's attention diverted elsewhere. He followed his gaze, and saw Wena and another Paladian woman approaching them.

Wena wore and outfit that matched Uhura's, only green. In fact, Kirk wouldn't be surprised to find that Uhura had borrowed the outfit from the half-Paladian woman.

Besides the color of the outfit, Wena's hair was also styled very differently. It was pulled smoothly into two Celtic looking knots on either side of her head, like barrettes, before half the strands from each knot were pulled to a third larger knot at the crown of her head. A braid extending from the third knot wrapped around the loose strands and lifted the hair from the nape of her neck. The locks that spilled over the dark braid were curled, braided, and adorned with glittering strands and beads.

Hearing an odd sound next to him, Kirk shifted his gaze from the half-Paladian to his CMO only to find the man looking shell shocked as he took in the female doctor's appearance. In fact, the doctor didn't even appear to be breathing.

Huh. Kirk hadn't thought of that.

Leaning closer to his friend, he whispered "Bones, you might want to close your mouth. You are looking a bit like a large-mouth bass."

Spock, meanwhile, had not torn his gaze from the Paladian female that Kirk had mistakenly not recognized.

Her skirt was full and long, the colors signifying a person who could not choose a single color to stick with. The dark teal and purple swirls that dominated suited her though. Unlike the other two women, her skirt was belted across her hips and the fabric flowed seamlessly into a solid purple that darkened on its way to her shoulders. The dark purple fabric continued into half sleeves ending at her elbows and matched the dark purple toed slippers on her feet.

Spock was… pleased to see that the thick mass of her hair had been successfully tamed. Delicate coils curled from her hairline at even intervals, extending an inch before dark purple ribbon was integrated in wide, flat braids. Indeed, her hair looked much like Terran lacework as it was pulled to the back of her head and joined to a larger braid, the ends of which were curled under and hidden.

When Nia noticed Spock's careful study, she blushed. The fuchsia color of her cheeks fit well with the colors of her outfit.

With a smile, she teased, "Why boys, you look surprised. I don't know if we should be flattered or offended."

Kirk gaped at her. "Nia! Wow, I didn't even recognize you."

Wena leaned over to whisper in Nia's ear, "Definitely offended."

Giggling, she shook her head.

"So what should we expect at this shindig?" McCoy asked.

"Dancing. Duh." Wena told him.

He glared at her. "Yes, well anything besides dancing?"

"Probably," Wena shrugged. "It will only be live music, with the performers changing out intermittently. The platform is the dance floor, obviously. If you don't want to dance, there are benches available for use and there will be refreshments available."

"What kind of refreshments?" Kirk asked.

"Drinks and sweet things." Nia told him.

Wena laid a hand on her arm. "'Drinks and desserts' might be a better way to put it."

"Oh, right." Nia shrugged.

"So, will we be expected to dance?" McCoy grumbled.

"Of course." Wena replied, face a little too innocent.

Elbowing her in the ribs, Nia said, "Only if you want to. Some of the dances have very simple steps if you wish to learn. Others are more complicated and if you decide to try them, please tell me so I may record and save the image for future use." She paused and looked pleadingly at Wena who nodded.

With a soft breath, Nia asked Spock, "May I ask you a question?"

"If you mean an additional question, yes you may. Otherwise you have already asked me a question." He replied.

Nia fought down a grin as she caught the minute twitch of his lips. "Then I will ask an additional question. Tonight I will dance _calliga_. Later than traditional, but nevertheless I will be. It is a simple dance, meant for one alone or a pair." Wena rolled her hand, subtly telling Nia to 'get a move on'. "Would you dance with me? I am capable alone, but admittedly, I would prefer not to."

Spock didn't answer immediately and Nia chewed her lip as she waited for his answer. The dance that night would be for Henry and Joshua. The song, however, the song she'd hoped would be for herself. Herself, and her future. Something she was definitely wanting Spock to be a part of.

As he debated the choice in his head, music began to play.

Nia squeaked in surprise. "Oh no, it's starting. Where is my father?" Her gaze was almost frantic as she looked around. "He insisted on the first dance. Where is he?"

"Right here." A gruff voice sounded behind her. Makol grinned when his daughter turned around. "Come," He said, holding his hand out. "We are missing it."

Nia placed her smaller hand in his and he pulled her out on the dance floor.

McCoy sighed. "Well, I believe there is a bench calling my name."

"Sounds good to me." Kirk replied. "You joining us, Spock? Wena?"

Spock inclined his head, but Wena didn't even spare them a glance.

"In a moment," she said. "I don't want to miss my favorite part."

Kirk shrugged and he and McCoy made their way to a nearby bench. Spock stood beside Wena and watched Nia and Makol as they danced.

And so, the Vulcan saw when Nia stumbled during a particularly quick turn and Makol chuckled. She stumbled again during another step, and finally Makol paused and uttered a few words to her. Shaking her head, Nia stepped closer to him, and up. Spock realized that Nia was now standing on her father's feet as he danced, much like a child would.

"Nia always tries to dance on her own, but she's so clumsy on the flat ground. It's pretty much a given that she ends up on Makol's feet by the middle of the dance." Wena smirked at Spock. "I think it's cute."

And with that, the brunette spun on her heel away from the stage to join the others.

A few dances later, Wena had successfully dragged McCoy out onto the dance floor to stumble along to a moderately complicated dance, while Jacek kept Uhura very busy in what became 'their' corner of the dance floor. Kirk had a different partner for each dance, and Spock merely sat on a bench watching them and the woman near him.

Nia had been intending to sit next to Spock after dancing with her father, but then her mother and couple other women had dragged her back onto the floor for a type of line dance.

Once Nia had finally stepped off the dance floor, she was stopped by Layla who had immediately burst into tears and lost all coherent speech. All Nia heard was "Henry", "Joshua" and "Nethi" paired with rubbing across her swollen belly. Guessing what was upsetting the hormonal woman, Nia tried to comfort Layla as best she could while keeping a straight face. After all, it wasn't everyday that she comforted someone else for her own loss.

Eventually Nethi arrived and settled Layla down on a bench. "_Oh Nethi, I'm not feeling so well. Do they have any tea here_?"

He shook his head. "_Not any hot tea that you can drink. Likely it will upset your stomach even more._" Nethi frowned and glanced fretfully at his wife. "I will get your tea from the house."

"What?" Layla protested. "_No, Nethi. I will be fine without. I want you to stay with me._"

He sighed. "_Layla, we should not risk you nausea getting worse. Otherwise you will not be able to eat or drink properly tonight._" He looked pleadingly at Nia.

She held up her hands. "_Don't look at me. I know just how finicky Paladian stomachs are during pregnancy and I know just how stubborn the owners of those stomachs are._" Chuckling, Nia decided to leave the couple to their discussion. Her presence wouldn't help either way.

As she straightened up, she noticed the quiet that had fallen on the dance floor. Nia glanced at the musicians, wondering why they had stopped playing, and discovered that female who sang was staring straight at her.

Nia's breath caught and hitched as she made her way across the platform to where the musicians were set up. The vocalist was slightly taller than her and had to bend slightly as she leaned over to speak with Nia. The discussion was very quick and ended with the other woman gripping Nia's hand in a silently mixing of emotions. The crowd on the dance floor thinned out some as Nia stepped away and released the vocalist's hand. Only close friends and family remained on the platform, a sign of support. Others could join later during the dance.

The first couple of notes began to play and Nia turned in the first step of the slow dance with her eyes closed.

She didn't expect for a hand to gently catch her wrist and halt her movements. Startled, Nia opened bright gray eyes to meet gentle brown ones.

In a move too quick for her to follow, Spock reached an arm around her waist and lifted her up into the next slow turn. Again, Nia was surprised. This time it was because she found that she no longer stood on the flat platform, but instead had her feet braced on Spock's. She blushed, but pulled him closer.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Since this dance is being observed by many, it should be performed to the best capability. Therefore, it is only logical that you follow my lead. I am a better dancer than you." He pointed out, logically.

Nia smiled softly, but didn't reply. She hadn't been thanking him for that, and they both knew it.

Across the dance floor, Wena watched the couple, sniffling.

McCoy looked down at her, appalled. "You aren't crying, are you?"

She shook her head. "You don't understand." She pulled her hand off of his shoulder to scrub at her eyes.

"You're right, I don't understand why the woman I am dancing with is crying." He gripped.

Wena glared at him. "You didn't have to dance with me, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Like you didn't drag me out here to make a fool of myself."

"Oh hush." She said. "Why would I do something like that?"

Hazel-green eyes glared down into vibrant green eyes. "Alright, so I did. But just look at them. And this song, it's so perfect."

"Are there any lyrics to this song?"

"There are." The bickering pair spun smoothly. "Listen, she's about to start singing."

McCoy was surprised to find the song was sung in Standard. He listened as he continued to dance, and grudgingly had to agree with Wena. It was perfect.

_This glancing life is like a morning star, _

_A setting sun or rolling waves at sea_

_A gentle breeze or lightning in a storm_

_A dancing dream or all eternity_

_The sand was shimmering in the morning light_

_And dancing off the dunes so far away_

_The night held music so sweet, so long_

_And there we lay until the break of day_

_We woke that morning to the onward call_

_Our camel bridled up, our howdahs full_

_The sun was rising in the eastern sky_

_Just as we set out to the desert's cry_

_Calling, yearning, pulling home to you_

As the woman's voice rose and crested, Nia stepped out from Spock's arms and spun. When her voice dwindled, Nia flowed back into his embrace and they spun again in time with the music.

_The tents grew smaller as we rode away_

_On earth that tells of many passing days_

_The months of peace and all the years of war_

_The lives of love and all the lives of fears_

_Calling, yearning, pulling home to you_

This time Spock expected the move as she spun away from him. The significance of the timing of the move was not lost on him.

_We crossed the river beds all etched in stone_

_And up the mighty mountains ever known_

_Beyond the valleys in the searing heat_

_Until we reached the caravanserai_

_Calling, yearning, pulling home to you_

_Calling, yearning, pulling home to you_

_What is this life that pulls me far away?_

_What is that home where we cannot reside?_

_What is this quest that pulls me onward?_

_My heart is full when you are by my side_

As the chorus was sung a final time, Nia didn't spin away. Instead she almost clung to Spock as they continued to turn. By now many dancing pairs had returned to the dance floor and Nia hid her face in Spock's shoulder to prevent being seen. Or at least, that's how she justified pulling him so close.

Uhura watched from the bench where she relaxed. The African woman wondered if all the unspoken messages being passed were getting caught. Not in the least, she wondered what it meant for Spock to conform to such a physical display with so many watching.

Spock had never claimed Uhura like that.

The communications officer allowed herself to grin as the tall, lean male reached for the Paladian female's hand, even though she was still in his arms and had no need to grip his hand.

When his hand gently gripped hers, Nia felt the connection that Vulcans were capable of creating. A mental bond versus an emotional one.

And so, that mental connection was how she figured out that Spock, for all his logical tendencies and mental pathways, knew the significance of the lyrics and the dual nature Nia had intended for them to have. And it was how she learned what this dance meant to _Spock_.

The music ended, and he released her to move away from him.

Nia opened her mouth to speak, to say something, anything-

A scream tore through the air.

* * *

A/N: I know, I know, I know. Cliffhanger. At least this gives you something to look forward too. The title of the song used is "Caravanserai" by Loreena McKennitt. And yes, it is one of my favorite songs. It's gorgeous.

Many thanks to those who have reviewed and I'm sorry for not saying so last chapter. So again, thanks to **Laura, elliemaeemerson38, fallenfaeangel, **and **ilovemedia **

Thank you to everyone who as added this story to their alerts and/or favorites and thank you to everyone who is hanging in their despite the recent delay in chapters.


	35. Chapter 34

**Many thanks to my beta for editing this. As always, you are awesome. **

**I know I'm updating this a little sooner than I expected too, but this is a pretty awesome chapter, if I say so myself. **

**Please, read and enjoy!**

Nia jolted as Spock snapped to attention, already configuring the source of the scream. It wasn't from anyone in the pavilion. No, it came from further away, somewhere else in the settlement. And if the flickering light seen through the trees was anything to go by, something was burning.

Another scream rent the air and settlers could be seen running in open spaces.

Nia's mouth went dry as she realized what she was viewing. What people had not attended the event were soon flooding the steel tent and the surrounding areas. The orange and yellow light that was alluring at first glance became the source of Nia's fear. She knew, _knew_ homes were on fire.

The grip on her wrist tightened before she was suddenly released. "Stay here," Spock ordered, his tone the same as he would have used for any under his command.

Nia barely had time to nod before he was moving away quickly and heading for Kirk. The two men met up and then took off in the direction of the flames, the captain speaking urgently on his communicator. The Paladian scientist stood still for a few moments, uncertain how to handle this change of events. No training she'd ever taken had covered something like this. If she were Starfleet maybe, but she was just a civilian consultant. Not an officer.

Hearing her name being called, Nia turned to find Wena shouting at her as a panicked Layla tried to claw her way out of the doctor's arms.

"Nethi!" The pregnant woman cried. "_Where is my Nethi?_"

Nia approached warily and Wena snapped, "I need you to hold her. I can help, but you have to take her."

As gentle as she was firm, Nia wrapped her arms around Layla. Grasping the other woman's wrists, Nia tried to emotionally stabilize Layla while simultaneously setting her down on a bench. It worked better than expected and just before sitting, Layla slumped in Nia's arms, weeping.

The show of Paladian influences made Wena pause. She shook her head. "One day, you are going to teach me how you did that."

Nia smiled weakly. "Pretty sure you have to be a full-blooded Paladian first."

The brief mirth faded away. "I have to go. I'll try to find Nethi if I can."

As the younger woman turned away, Nia reached out to grab her sleeve. "Be careful." She warned. "We don't know what caused this."

Wena smile faintly to reassure her friend. "Don't worry. It was probably just an accident."

Nia nodded and let her go. The scientist fought back the anxiety that plucked at her and returned her attentions to Layla.

In order to calm the woman, Nia needed to _be_ calm. Acting calm wouldn't suffice. Not when influencing someone else's emotions. Otherwise, both women would be in hysterics and further hindering those around them. To combat her own fear, Nia focused on the earlier dance and allowed the solid comfort she'd felt then take over. She pulled those delicate emotions forward and used them to distract herself.

Several minutes passed until Nia realized that most of the occupants in the steel tent were women and children. Mothers and aunts that were taking care of sons, daughters, nieces and nephews while the others were out combating the flames and any injuries that were sure to develop. If any crops were damaged, Nia would have a purpose a few days from then, but at the moment she was feeling quite helpless.

And she wasn't the only one. The fright in the air was practically tangible for a Paladian.

The women were mostly quiet, but some of the children were whimpering despite the comforting touch of their mothers.

In the distance, something exploded. The resulting sound and the bright flare of fire caused the women to begin murmuring amongst each other.

"_That came from the Northeast Quarter_," one woman muttered. "_My home is there_."

"_Most homes are in the east_," another woman replied, voice breaking.

Nia spoke up. "_We cannot count our losses yet_." She blinked back her tears and fought to hang on to that earlier dance, when she was at peace. That blast had been large enough to severly injure someone. Maybe even…

"_My home is there too_." Layla whispered. "_Nethi left to get my tea and had not yet returned when the burning was first seen._" She curled one first under her chin until she looked like a child, her head propped on Nia's lap and Nia's hand firmly wrapped around her bare upper arm. "_I can usually feel him. Sometimes… Sometimes I can't. I wish this were not one of those times._"

Knowing nothing she could say would fix this, Nia just gently ran her free hand over Layla's hair and cheek, trying to give her as much comfort as she could.

After what felt like hours, Nia could no longer see the flames through the trees. The flickering light had disappeared.

Just as Nia's shoulders began to slump with exhaustion, a second explosion rocked the night. Terror swamped her and as she jolted in surprise the previously dozing Layla sat upright.

One of the other women mewled quietly. "_Do you think that killed someone?_"

No one answered her. None of the women could voice what they were thinking.

Day was starting to break when Spock returned with Mig at his side. As expected, the Vulcan male had no expression, but Mig's face was grim.

Layla sat up anxiously. "_Nethi? Where is my Nethi?_" She asked the medic.

Mig didn't answer. Instead he looked to Spock for guidance.

Dread hit Nia hard as she watched the pair. With a glance at Layla, Nia braced herself for the news she knew was coming and for Layla's reaction to it. Spock began to speak and Nia's shoulders tensed, prepared for –

"Multiple individuals have been gravely injured and several did not survive the flames and consequent explosions. Both Nethi and Dr. Verde are counted amongst that number."

-And everything fell apart.

Wena? _Her_ Wena?

Nia was expecting Nethi. Mig's hesitance had given that away. The Paladian scientist had braced herself for that, but Wena's name had hit her as an unexpected blow.

More might have been said, but neither woman heard it over Layla's gut-wrenching wails. The pregnant woman clung hard to Nia, harder than she had previously and the scientist was near deafened.

As the pregnant woman grew more and more hysterical, Nia found herself unable to calm Layla again. Mig was forced to sedate Layla and then lifted the pregnant woman from the bench.

As Layla was taken away, Nia pressed her fists to her forehead, tried to gain some control. A stronger, cooler presence replaced Layla's on the bench next to her. No hand was laid on her shoulder, no words of comfort offered. He just sat a little too close and when her vision began to spin he pressed between her shoulder blades until her head was between her knees and the clanging in her ears stopped.

Spock was uncertain what comfort to offer. There was only one who could truly be of help in this situation, and it was to Nia's great misfortune that that was one of the people no longer able to help.

Amongst Vulcans, one does not embrace nor seek any sort of physical comfort when there has been a personal tragedy. Most often, the grandest words of comfort given are, "I grieve with thee". For Vulcans, it is enough.

For Nia, that would not be. For Nia, Spock knew he was incapable of giving what she would seek. A corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn't frown. Lifting up his communicator, he quietly contacted the _Enterprise_ and requested Uhura. She beamed down almost immediately.

Nia barely heard him, but she definitely understood Uhura's name. When the familiar female presence appeared on Nia's other side, the Paladian woman didn't know what to expect. At that point she was feeling so out of control that she couldn't be sure what would happen if anyone tried to speak with her.

Spock tried to get up to give Uhura room to sit, but Nia snatched his sleeve before he could move much. Her eyes were staring at the floor unfocused and her breathing was erratic. She was clearly not in control of herself, and had grabbed him in search of support.

The commander looked to Uhura and motioned for her to take his place.

The communications officer shook her head and knelt on the opposite side of Nia from Spock. She rubbed her hand along Nia's shoulder.

"You are certain she's gone?" Nia asked, haltingly.

Uhura shook her head. "All the evidence is pointing that way so far. We aren't _sure_, but there isn't much hope."

"Right." Nia nodded. "That means her body hasn't been found yet."

"No, it hasn't."

Nia squeezed Uhura's hand hard. "She might not be found, you know? If the fire was too hot, if-" Her voice choked off as a sob welled in her throat.

Spock spoke up. "The temperature of the fire was not so significantly high. Something identifiable will be found."

Nia just trembled.

With a soft look, Uhura gripped Nia's elbow. "Sweetheart, why don't we return to the _Enterprise_? We'll go to my room. Michaels will be there." She began to gently lift up on Nia's arm as she stood up, coaxing Nia to follow her.

Spock followed Uhura's lead, also standing up slowly. The shaken scientist also slowly stood Uhura's grip on her elbow and her own grip of Spock's sleeve not allowing her to do any other option.

In short time, Scotty beamed the trio up to the _Enterprise_. The engineer didn't say anything upon seeing the very grey face of the Paladian scientist being guided off of the pad. He'd already beamed down several medical staff and other individuals that could help. Michaels met the trio in the hall and attempted to take the first officer's place.

Nia wouldn't let him go. She held on to his blue sleeve until she was settled down in Uhura's room. Michaels stayed with her as Uhura and Spock left.

As the pair headed back for the bridge, the disaster down below hanging over them, Uhura spoke quietly. "She'll pull through. Wena and Nia were very close, so this will be rough on her, but she'll pull through."

"You are certain?" Spock asked.

She glanced at him and sighed. "Yeah, she's already handling this better than most would."

He didn't respond, finding himself unable to agree with Uhura's statement.

Uhura looked at him and shrewdly guessed what he was thinking. She didn't get a chance to call him on it as the pair stepped onto the bridge and duty called.

**STSTST**

Inspecting the still smoking rubble, Kirk shook his head. He was just waiting for the information that would confirm the churning in his gut.

He rubbed his face and scrubbed at the top of his head. This was a royal mess. Jacek was severely injured, Grego less so along with Mig, Nethi confirmed dead, and Wena… missing. Spock was leading things from the ship, as was protocol. Not that Kirk wanted him to be following it, but it was what was needed at this point in time. Especially since the captain heard that Nia was taken to the ship.

Kirk wouldn't want to go too far either.

McCoy and Mig were working hard with the other medical staff on helping those that had been injured. Mig had been burned, but once he'd put a field dressing on it, the man had insisted on continuing to help others.

Good guy. Just like several others that had well proven their worth tonight, braving the heat in spite of the risk to themselves. The Paladians didn't have an official fire squad. In reality they didn't really need one. Due to the moist environment, wildfires were near unheard of on Palad and on NiPila. Plus, with the advancements of the society there were safety measures in place to prevent accidental fires.

Groups of Paladians were trained to take care of fires and many were present the previous night, but still. It's not anything like what one would find on Earth. It was probably why so many got hurt, and why the blaze got out of control so quickly.

It was partially because of the safety procedures against accidental fires that Kirk's gut was churning. It still happened if Nia's dancing story was anything to go by, but large scale fires were very rare in a Paladian environment.

So rare that he was just waiting for his crew to find the evidence. Arson was the only explanation to this scenario. It was the only thing that made sense, especially with several significant figures getting injured in the mess.

Pike was right.

The admiral had contacted Kirk earlier to warn the younger man that there might be an informant or mole on his ship, likely amongst the settlers. With this fire, that was almost certain.

After all, they had already been able to determine that Nethi's home had been the source of the fire. It was where the first explosion had taken place also and it was the place with the most damage.

Guilt tugged at him, making him worry that he'd made the wrong decision, the wrong call. Maybe he should have pulled Spock aside sooner.

But no, he couldn't. If Kirk had done that, he might have set off the arsonist sooner. If any of the settlers had suspected something amiss, the spy could have panicked. A lot more people could have gotten hurt.

The man sighed. What happened? This was supposed to be a simple rescue mission. Now he was being forced to deal with a dirty politician who may have allies in Starfleet that are bent on harming Palad for some sort of profit that neither he nor his first officer could figure out. This mysterious mineral rolium was still unexplained. And this dirty politician was not above killing problem scientists, attempting to kill innocent civilians and those suspected of being involved with said scientist, or going after those that might be able to testify to the politician's guilt.

Yeah, a simple rescue mission alright.

Narsow was smart enough to cover his tracks, set up his fellow Paladian Council member by casting her son as a scapegoat, and to plant someone in amongst the settlers for later use. At least, Kirk fervently hoped and prayed the mole was Paladian and not a member of his crew. Otherwise, he was going to have a whole new can of worms to deal with. Not to mention that Narsow left a very bitter and familiar taste in Kirk's mouth. The captain was starting to wonder if there would ever be an end to tyrannical egomaniacs who thought they had a right to control worlds and decide who lived and died. Narsow, was one example, Nero another. More littered the past.

A red uniform approached his right side. "Captain, it was as you thought. We've found traces of accelerant and the warning alarms and prevention systems were disabled. The systems may have been hacked, but the alarms were smashed."

"And not in the explosion." Kirk concluded.

"Right, sir. Though whoever did it certainly tried to make it look like it was the explosion that did it. Whoever did this, sir, had an idea of what they were doing." The officer paused. "There's something else, sir."

Kirk frowned. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Dr. McCoy wants to see you, sir. He says all the patients have been stabilized and that he started checking over the bodies. He says he has something he needs to speak with you about, sir."

"Alright. Any signs of Dr. Verde?" Kirk asked.

The man hesitated. "There are remains found that Dr. McCoy is still working on identifying."

"Just McCoy?"

"Yes, Captain. He refuses to allow anyone else to work with the – uh – remains, sir."

Kirk sighed. "Of course. Thank you, Lieutenant. Keep me informed if you find anything else."

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant slipped away.

The blond man gave the rubble one last look over, and then turned on his heel towards the colony's hospital, where Bones was working. Maybe the man would have some answers by the time the captain got there.

Kirk could only hope.

**STSTST**

"Well Jim, at this point we've got six dead, two missing, four severely injured and under strict observation, and fourteen less injured." He gestured at the tablet in his hands as if to use it to back up his statement.

Kirk asked "What else have you got to tell me? What about the bodies? Any positive identifications?"

"Yeah, three. I'm still checking the others, so I can't tell you if Dr. Verde is one of them. So far, I've only ruled her missing." McCoy told him. When Kirk didn't respond, the doctor continued "The body we found in Nethi's house was the first I looked at. It's definitely him, Jim."

"I'll make sure Layla is appropriately informed." Kirk told him.

"Gently." McCoy stressed. "Even this far along if she freaks there could be complications with the pregnancy."

Kirk nodded. "I get that, Bones. She'll be taken care of. Is that all?"

McCoy's face darkened. "No, Jim. It isn't. You know if that was an arson fire yet?"

Surprised by the change of subject Kirk just responded "Yes, accelerant was found."

The doctor nodded. "Then that matches up with my findings. While Nethi was significantly burned, it's mainly the soft tissue that was affected. I can still determine the state of his bones. His wrist is broken, which can be explained away by failed a failed escape attempt, but that doesn't explain the fracturing of his jaw, nor his ribs. I'm sure he'd have bruising too, if it wasn't for the fire."

Thinking, Kirk was quiet for a moment. "He was in a fight." It was the only answer he could think of.

"Looks that way." McCoy shrugged. "Jim, what is going on?"

"I don't know." Kirk answered. "But I think I have an idea."

"Oh yeah? Care to enlighten me?" McCoy near growled.

"Pike contacted me. Warned me we might have a spy for Narsow hanging around. Nethi was one of the only ones who could testify against the Chancellor, though only in support of Wena's testimony and not in direct identification of Narsow. Even Jacek and Grego are bigger threats."

"Alright." McCoy was following him so far. "If there was a mole that knew about Nethi and the others, then he probably would want to eliminate the threat of their testimony."

"So this, informant if you will, goes to speak with Nethi, maybe threaten his wife and unborn child if the cook talks." Kirk said, thinking out loud.

McCoy nodded. "Maybe Nethi doesn't agree, or maybe he panics and attacks the guy. Clearly, he loses and likely got tossed around a bit."

"Narsow's man decides to send a message to the others or gets mad enough to just take care of Nethi then and there and sets the fire."

"And makes sure the man can't escape by either knocking him out or locking the door." McCoy finished for Kirk. He crossed his arms then added "And you're going to be looking for a Paladian that did this. No human would have the strength to fight a Paladian like that. Sulu may have tossed Nia around a good bit, but there's a big difference between bruises and broken bones. And Nethi wasn't a weak Paladian."

"And we are certain only a Paladian could do this?" Kirk asked. Many species were stronger than humans. One in particular was equal in strength to Paladians.

McCoy frowned. He knew where Kirk was going with this. "Well, no, but our favorite half-Vulcan is covered. He's got a solid alibi in the form of a Paladian girlfriend. And dozens of others who can place him at the party, if she's not up to defending him." He paused. "How is she doing anyways? Anyone tell her about Wena yet?"

"Spock did. He and Uhura took her up to the _Enterprise_. As far as I know, she's taking it as expected. No hysterics, just really quiet. Supposedly had a death grip on Spock." He shrugged. Kirk really didn't know what else to say. How well would anyone be doing at time like this?

McCoy snorted. "I'm sure he loved that." He shook his head. "Jim, I'm really hoping I don't find her body on one of those tables."

"Me too, Bones. Me too." Jim gripped the man's shoulder in sympathy.

**STSTST**

Why the Chancellor ever thought employing humans was a good idea, he'd never understand. Maybe if the team had even been halfway competent, he could give them some leeway, but as it was the fools failed in taking down the colony ship and them got caught trying to hijack a _starship_.

Complete and utter idiots. They panicked when they should have paused and thought things through. Informed their superiors of their failure and then waited for following orders. Things would have gone much smoother.

Of course, everything would have worked out if the good doctor had done what she was supposed to in the first place.

It had been shortly after the good scientist's death that it had been discovered that the man had made a copy of his work. Good fortune would show that only one person was a good candidate to have been given the data. A Doctor Wena Verde.

Narsow had the woman bought in to speak with her himself. Had threatened her and brought in Jacek and Grego too. It was well known that the trio were close and practically Wena's only family on Palad.

The informant, spy, and mole shook his head as he walked briskly down the hall of the starship _Enterprise_. Narsow had the power needed to execute this plan, but he was very arrogant. He didn't think his threat would be ignored and didn't bother to put any sort of guard detail.

And technically, his threat wasn't ignored. Just, instead of the data being brought to Narsow, Wena and the engineers made off with it. They thought they were safe in space. That Narsow couldn't find them there. It had been a desperate plan for desperate people with no clue what they were doing.

It had almost worked too. If it hadn't been for him joining the new group of settlers, the trio would have been completely lost. As it were, he was able to contact Narsow from the ship. He expected the Chancellor to have a reasonable plan of action, such as plan an accident en route or even after landing on NiPila.

But of course, the good Chancellor had to send his merry band of idiots. Idiots who let themselves get shot by the colony ship's meager weaponry and who left the crippled ship behind to pull and emergency landing on the closest planet. Idiots who should have ended their mission by littering the desert planet's orbit with bit of a destroyed colony ship.

The informant sighed. He punched in an access code he'd carefully watched for.

Now it was up to him to bail them out. Killing them all was too difficult a task for even him to manage. The engineers would have to be dealt with later, despite his best intentions. At least the fire was enough to get him back on board. Maybe this time the idiots could follow through, even after the informant had been forced to take care of Verde for them.

As he stepped through the open doorway the crewman stationed there startled upon seeing him. "Um, sir, you're not authorized to be here."

The mole punched the man, knocking him cold with a single blow. "Actually, I am authorized to be here. Just not by Starfleet."

He looked around, surprised. He'd expected the brig to have more security. Maybe his little fire trick had worked better than he thought.

Using the data chip he had stuck in his sleeve, the man quickly got to work. Within a few short moments, he'd convinced the computer to open the holding cells.

Nikolai stepped out and spotted him. "Where have _you_ been?"

The man sneered at him. "Cleaning up your mess. You'll thank me for taking care of your _ex-fiancé._ And the meddling cook."

Nikolai calmed considerably. "Dead?"

"As doornails, to use a familiar expression."

The human rolled his eyes. "What about the others?"

"Grego and Jacek will be taken care of. There are those loyal to the Chancellor here before me. With any luck, we can also eliminate one more threat on our way out of here."

Nikolai grunted. "You are well informed. I can see why the Chancellor likes you. What about the information? You think she told the others? You think Starfleet knows about this?"

"Starfleet shouldn't be a problem, not when a powerful few are expecting to cut a pretty penny off this job. Besides, there's only one person she would tell." He gave him a significant look.

"Ah, right." Nikolai said. "That the other threat?"

"It is."

"Should be fun." Reflexively, he rubbed his jaw.

* * *

A/N: Um... yeah. That happened. Any thoughts?

Thank you **ilovemedia18** for your review! I glad you found that chapter interesting. Thank you to everyone who has added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. I'm not sure if you guys realize how much I appreciate any sort of feedback.

-Spirit


	36. Chapter 35

**Thanks so much to my beta for editing this! **

**And thank you to those who are still reading, even if you might be a little angry with me :/ Sorry guys, it had to be done. **

**Here's the next chapter for your enjoyment: **

As Nia lifted the glass of water to her lips, she was vaguely proud there was no evidence of trembling or shaking. Being off-planet was helping. Not seeing the smoke and feeling the terror and _relief_ of those around her was allowing her to put space between her and, well, everything.

She turned around and nearly toppled over the small table behind her.

Space between her and _almost _everything.

She winced and rubbed her now sore shin. Sitting down on Uhura's surprisingly comfortable chair, Nia tried to relax even a little bit. She wondered if this would be easier if she were human.

As a Paladian, loyalty and protective instincts always struck her hard. Wena in trouble? Hunt down her fiancé and break his jaw. In trouble again? Fly halfway across the galaxy to find her and pull her out of the desert. None of it was an issue and never did she second guess herself.

Yet, when the fires burned down part of the settlement the scientist followed her friend's direction and sat back with the other helpless women and children. She sat back and waited to hear the all clear from her friend and now, now Nia was second guessing that decision.

If that wasn't a tell-all, Nia didn't know what was.

Nia wasn't going to kid herself either. Spock had said so himself, it was highly unlikely that Wena was still alive. At this point, Nia was just sitting and waiting for McCoy to positively identify her best friend's remains. If she were human, maybe she would be grasping that small hope like a life line, the hope that her body _won't_ be identified, but alas she was Paladian. And all her Paladian instincts were telling her that she failed to protect someone important to her. No matter if both women had acted appropriately to the situation.

She vaguely wondered what Spock thought of her little emotional display. Surely she made a fool out of herself. Just as she would if she followed up on what her instincts were telling her to do now, to go back down to the planet and dig through the rubble on her hands and knees if she had to.

Yet, this time wasn't as bad as the first. The first time she'd learned of a loved one dying, she'd really flipped. Gone off the deep end and lost-

Layla. Oh no, _Layla_.

Nia bolted up out of her seat. She shook the snoring Michaels. "Michaels. Wake up. This is important." She shook her harder. "Some chaperon you are. Wake up!"

"What? What? Did something happen? Did they get news?" Michaels asked, grogginess fading away as the brunette sat up.

"No, no it's not that." Nia replied. "I need to find out how Layla is doing."

"Alright, I'll call the medbay and see if they –"

"That's fine, but I'd also like to go down there myself." Nia interrupted.

Michaels eyed her warily. "You sure that's a good idea? I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to leave the ship."

Nia frowned. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Sighing, she shook her head. "No, that probably wouldn't be best. I'm going to contact the bridge. "

With a hand on her arm, Michaels stopped her. "Why don't you let me?"

Still frowning, Nia shrugged. It couldn't hurt. It was only after McCoy was finally contacted that Michaels let Nia have control over the com again.

"Alright, Sargent. What is it?" The CMO gruffly asked.

_He must be tired._ Nia thought in response to his surprisingly mellow attitude. "I wanted to find out how Layla was doing?"

McCoy sighed. "Your people are the ones handling her, but I believe she is still sedated. Is there something we should know?"

"You know Nethi died?" Nia asked quietly.

"I do, now spit it out." McCoy replied. He had no time for her to beat around the bush.

Nia's lips twitched in an almost smile. "She's going to be very fragile when she wakes up and for a Paladian, that's a very dangerous place to be when pregnant. I know firsthand how dangerous, so you can trust me on that." Her voice broke.

Catching the urgency of what she was saying, McCoy asked "What didn't work for you?"

"Don't leave her alone. Have someone with her at all times, preferably someone she's comfortable with and is in control of their emotions." She took a breath. "My parents would be good choices, since most of the medical staff will be busy. Um, also, don't be afraid to sedate her." Nia winced. That sounded bad. "It's not ideal, but less of a danger to the baby in the long run. Humans can better handle grief during pregnancy than Paladians can."

"I think I understand." McCoy responded. He had access to Nia's medical files. He really shouldn't be surprised she was contacting him like this.

"Good." Nia replied. "That's good." And with that, Nia's short spurt of energy faded away. The once again weary Paladian made her way back to her seat.

Michaels handled the rest of the communication and probably gave McCoy and update on Nia's own condition. The scientist didn't really care and so she wasn't paying much attention.

Finished, Michaels settled in her previous seat. "Alright, McCoy has been notified," she told her. "Why don't you distract yourself for a little while? We can even pull out a couple board games to pass the time."  
Nia shook her head, all the urgency she felt earlier gone. "I'd rather not."

The other woman shrugged. "That's fine. What would you like to do?"

Opening her mouth to speak, Nia found she didn't have a good answer. A snide remark was on the tip of her tongue, but instead of responding she looked away. Nia knew what she wanted, but it was something she would be unlikely to have, unlikely to get. So, she was going to settle for waiting. Waiting on that final confirmation.

Layla had been a point of concern, enough to briefly distract Nia. Playing a game seemed childish in comparison. Besides, Layla was only one of a few people who could draw her attention so wholly. Layla and Nethi, Jacek and Grego, Uhura a little bit, Kirk, McCoy, her parents, Wena, and Spock.

She wondered how Spock was faring as the current leader of the ship. Without Kirk or McCoy onboard Spock was the highest-ranking officer. It probably wasn't his first time being such, but she still wanted to know how he was handling it. How many orders would he be giving? Would he be controlling the rotation of emergency crews, or would Kirk? Were the crews even necessary? The emergency was over, wasn't it? All that was left was recovery of a small number of homes.

Kirk was definitely heading that up. Based on everything Nia knew of his character, she figured the next time he beamed aboard he would be covered head to toe in soot and be nearly unrecognizable. McCoy most likely would have to force Kirk to beam back aboard. The captain was a good man with a good heart. It would go against his very nature to not do all he could to help if help was needed.

He'd probably figure out how the fire started too. Maybe even who started it, if there is a who. Nia shook that thought from her head, knowing that that pathway would only upset her. Another thought hit her.

How was Nikolai going to take the news? For all his chauvinism, the man had cared for Wena once. Before all the stupid things that happened. Before he showed up on the ship, planning to kidnap her. Guess he was out of a job.

Nia grit her teeth to fight back to tears. She'd cry later. When she knew it was real.

A sickly feeling began to brew in her gut as her thoughts turned to Nikolai again. Had he been told? Did the man even deserve to know? Would he even care or would he gloat?

Is he gloating now? Does he even know what's happening because of his boss? Does he even…?

The sickly feeling turned cold as the hairs on her arms raised.

Did he know? Arson _is_ likely.

The cold flared icy before it burned and heat rose up in her chest. The back of her neck, her ears, and her jaw line flushed brilliant pink.

Across from her, Michaels watched the display of emotion with an increasing unease. That pattern of flushing was distinct and she'd only seen before on the heat-mad Paladians and… when Nia decked someone on the bridge.

Or, really, just after Nia decked someone on the bridge. Jenkins's friend let the Lieutenant show the Science Department the security feed. On the feed, Nia's flush had been less pronounced.

"Nia?" Michaels asked, wary. "What's wrong?"

Without responding, the white haired woman stood up and took off for the door. Surprised, Michaels took precious seconds to get up from her seat and stop Nia. She'd gotten a hand around the Paladian woman's elbow and only the instinctive duck kept Michaels nose intact as that same elbow came back in a ploy for freedom. All of Nia's training with Spock and Sulu made her very difficult to catch for her human companion.

Once Nia was out the door, she was running down the hall to the turbolift. Michaels chased after her until the turbolift doors closed in her face.

Then, the crewman took the next rational step.

She found the nearest computer and contacted the bridge.

STSTST

"Commander Spock!" An officer's voice cried out. "We've lost all security feeds to the lower decks."

"Intruders, sir?" Sulu asked, surprised.

The officer answered "None, sir." He added "All transporter feeds are still online and only crew and medical staff have beamed to the ship."

Thinking quickly, Spock ordered "Send security to the brig and the shuttle bay." They already had intruders onboard, ones that had never left.

The officer nodded. "Aye, sir."

Spock prepared to head down to the lower levels himself, and stood from the captain's chair. He turned towards the turbolift, but paused as Uhura called out to him.

"Sir, Dr. Sargent was last seen in a turbolift heading to the lower levels. She was visibly upset and moving quickly. Michaels wasn't able to stop her."

Her words hadn't finished before and alarm sounded and Chekov called out "Phaser fire detected in the shuttle bay!"

A human would have bolted for the turbolift, phaser in hand, upon hearing that.

Apparently, so would a Vulcan.

STSTST

Nia skipped the brig, already guessing it would be empty. If she was wrong, she could always double back to it. If she was right, she wouldn't be wasting precious time.

She hit the shuttle bay at the same time as the escaped prisoner group and the security team sent by Spock.

Both parties missed her in the ensuing fire fight as she ducked back behind some machinery. She attempted to follow Nikolai's crew as they made their way to one of the empty shuttles. Skirting around the machinery, Nia worked her way to the shuttle she suspected the group was aiming for.

As she came around the front of it she saw the open doorway. Logically, she should have stayed back. The security officers were already on their way to this shuttle in particular, and there was no chance for the shuttle to make it out of the _Enterprise_. Logic dictated that Nia would only be in the way.

Nia wasn't listening to logic as she watched Nikolai step through the open doorway, Rebecca on the ramp behind him and sporadically firing at the security officers.

The Paladian scientist definitely wasn't listening to logic as she leapt over two fallen prisoners and up the ramp to use her considerable Paladian strength in disarming then throwing Rebecca off the ramp.

As she turned her body into the throw, Nia caught sight of a familiar individual making his way up the ramp. Surprised, she turned to him.

"Mig?" She asked.

Nia didn't even register the punch to her jaw that knocked her through the doorway of the shuttle and into an unconscious heap of pale skin and colorful clothing on the shuttle floor.

The enraged Paladian male stepped forward on the ramp, intending to join Nikolai in the shuttle. Phaser fire caught him from the side and knocked him from the ramp. Ruthlessly, the shuttle doors closed even as he fell.

STSTST

Lieutenant Casey was panicking. Somehow another code had been planted into the _Enterprise_'s software and this one was giving her some real trouble. It had already shut down the security feeds and broken through the Science Department's firewalls. She couldn't tell in anything had been downloaded, but didn't care as she grew increasingly frustrated with trying to back hack the program.

Her assistant near jumped three feet when a particularly foul swear escaped her.

The program activated the shuttle bay doors' subroutine. Whatever was going on down there, someone was planning to make an escape. And whoever put the planning into it this time was good.

Lieutenant Casey wasn't going to be able to save the day this time.

STSTST

Relieved, Nikolai sat back as the programming kicked in and the shuttle lifted up. It was a good thing that he didn't have to fly the thing out of there, with the rate he was being fired at.

Of course he was the only one to make it out. He'd begged and begged for a more competent team, and was ignored. And lo and behold, look what happened. They went and got themselves caught.

It wouldn't be long before he got picked up. He should be given a commendation for getting away from the Starfleet freaks. It just had to be the _Enterprise_. Of all the ship he could have gone up against, it had to be the flagship.

Of course he failed to retrieve We- Dr. Verde.

Nikolai couldn't have been expected to do anything else.

STSTST

One security officer stared at the escaping shuttle in vain. His jaw clenched as he thought about the extra passenger inside who may or may not live to be found. Somehow, he was going to help get her back. First though, he had another job to do.

Not daring to look in the direction of the Vulcan First Officer, who'd arrived in time to fire the shot that knocked the Paladian male from the ramp, the security officer began to bark out orders to have medical contacted and for the remaining prisoners to be rounded up.

He'd lost a couple good men in the fight. While the hijackers had gone out of their way to avoid any deaths the first time around, they seemed to have changed their mind the second time. While their comrades had been stunned, the enemy had gone in for the kill. So, he lost two men.

And a scientist had been taken hostage. That one was his fault.

So first, he was going to make sure that the prisoners couldn't escape again. Not only was it dangerous, but it was highly embarrassing.

After that, he'd make sure those that were injured were adequately seen to.

Then, and only then, he'd help the Commander, Captain, and take care of this problem once and for all.

STSTST

Black. She was awake, but all she could see was black.

Her limbs felt heavy and her jaw ached. So did the back of her head.

What happened?

Trying to move, she discovered that her limbs were still too weak. Maybe there was more to it, but she couldn't do more than lift her fingers.

Swallowing, she discovered a mouth full of grit and dry lips. She could hear someone speaking, but couldn't tell who it was. It sounded familiar though. Real familiar.

Familiar enough for her to be annoyed just listening to it. So who was it?

The voice was deep and muffled, like she was hearing it from another room. It was definitely male.

Finally, when she could understand a few words, everything came back to her. And she started to cry.

STSTST

As the head security officer took the initiative and began to bark out orders behind him, Spock efficiently made his way around the fallen prisoners to the only Paladian individual in the shuttle bay.

Mig's eyes were rolling around in his head. While the setting of Spock's phaser was not high enough to cause his serious injury, it did succeed in briefly knocking him unconscious. The Paladian had been out long enough to miss Nikolai's exit.

In fact, his first clear sight after being shot was of Spock's face. Mig's brain registered what he was seeing and Mig stilled. He didn't twitch, he didn't try to get up and run. He didn't try to speak, either. Any story he made up now would only come back to bite him. Too many officers had seen him and he was certain the First Officer had seen the strike that knocked Nia back. Was she knocked into the shuttle? Mig struggled to remember. Every detail was important.

Without moving, Mig tried to register his surroundings, utilizing his peripherals when necessary. There was no shuttle, and he didn't hear a feminine voice amongst the crowd, not even Rebecca. The lack of a female voice couldn't confirm anything though. Likely, Nia was still unconscious. He'd had too much training behind that hit for her to be anything else.

As Mig was quickly piecing together the situation, Spock was carefully watching him. Two Starfleet officers were standing by to aid the Vulcan officer if he needed it. After the events, Spock rationally knew there was no insult behind the precaution.

The Paladian male's actions and inaction were confirming Spock's mounting suspicions that the medic was not all he seemed to be. The man was scanning his environment while still keeping an eye on the greatest danger before him, Spock. As Spock watched, only for a few short seconds, he knew that the medic was taking in whatever information he could and drawing conclusions. Unlike a typical Paladian, Mig's expression did not change and gave Spock no additional insight. Additional insight wasn't needed either way. Mig was sure to be informing himself and the captain of the information they needed to know shortly enough.

* * *

A/N: Alright, so what do you think is happening now? What's Migs part in all this? Is Nia alright? What about Layla?

Tell me what you think!

Many thanks go to **fallenfaeangel **and **ilovemedia18**, I always love hearing from you.

Thanks also to those who have added this story to there alerts and/or favorites. I notice you all too :)

-Spirit


	37. Chapter 36

**Many thanks to my beta for editing this chapter! Woot! **

**Hope you all enjoy it! **

Awareness rolled over Nia slowly, the world around her foggy with the dull aching of her jaw and the distant thunder of her throbbing skull. She blinked slowly and realized she was laying on her side on a cold hard floor.

Instinct kept her from moving as she heard a familiar voice speaking to a not so familiar one a very short distance away. Using the seat next to her, she slowly lifted herself up into a seated position out of the line of view from the cockpit.

Maybe she hadn't been seen yet.

Thousands of miles away, safely tucked away in a NiPila Paladian hospital, another woman was slowly waking up. In an almost lazy fashion, she rolled her eyes open and then closed them when the lights proved to be too bright. Something was off about her reaction time.

Something else was wrong too, but she couldn't place it. There was something she needed to do, something important that had happened or was happening.

Why couldn't she remember?

Even without opening her eyes again to check, the woman knew there was someone sitting next to her. The presence was comforting.

Delicately, she reached out the grab the hand that she knew was resting next to her…

But she only grabbed air.

A small noise of dismay squeaked past her throat and a voice called her name.

"Layla?"

She struggled to lift her head and a hand from the opposite side of the bed slid in behind her head for additional support.

"_Easy, Layla. Slowly sit up or you will turn your stomach." _ A different voice spoke quietly, yet firmly.

Layla wanted to rebel and bolt upright, but her head wouldn't let her. The room seemed to turn on end as she sat up, and her stomach did in fact twist into knots. With great effort, she looked to see who it was that was helping her sit up.

The pregnant Paladian knew the woman at her side.

"Drella." Layla whispered, throat dry.

"_Yes, it is me."_

_ "I don't feel well."_

_ "That's normal, but you are fine."_ Drella reassured her.

Layla attempted to nod, but winced as the room tilted again. "_What happened to me?"_

There was a moment of hesitation before Makol answered her. "_You were sedated for a period of time. It was safest that way. All you are feeling is the after effects of that."_

_"You and your baby are well." _Drella again reassured her.

Thinking processes still struggling, Layla just accepted what they told her. Even as she accepted it and tried to understand, that 'something important' feeling grew again.

The weight of her stomach was a welcome relief, the child fluttering inside. That part was right, Layla instinctively knew that her baby was healthy and not in danger. The weight shifting as she shifted brought to mind her frequent complaint to Nethi that the child was determined to be too big for her to carry. He always laughed, knowing that she was jesting since the babe was growing normally and very healthily.

Layla looked around, frowning. "_Where is Nethi?" _She asked. Where was her husband? He should be here. He was always hovering now that she was pregnant and hesitant to leave her side for any reason, even the times when she requested it. Was he doing something important?

As she continued to look around, Drella gently sat on the side of Layla's bed. The movement drew the pregnant Paladian's attention to the older woman.

"_Do you remember the dance?" _ Drella gently asked. She wasn't sure what all Layla remembered and really wasn't sure how to answer the question. When Henry had died, Nia had been living alone on Earth. With that kind of emotion, humans wouldn't have been any help, and so she had been left alone without reaching out until it was too late for the child. The guilt that had riddled Nia's being had turned inward and, when coupled with the cause of her husband's death, had turned to an anger Drella had not seen in her daughter's eyes before. It was only after she began her physical training that Nia had calmed down.

Even though McCoy had said no such thing, Drella knew that her daughter was the reason why she was now sitting next to another young woman who had lost her husband at a very inopportune time. And Drella would make sure this woman wouldn't be left alone.

Thinking about Drella's question, Layla slowly nodded. She recalled the dance and watching Nia and the new male, Spock, dancing. She even remembered the argument with Nethi about her tea and whether or not he should return to their home to retrieve it. He'd ended up leaving, hadn't he? But then, he'd come back, right? When everything-?

The blood slowly drained from her face. No, no he hadn't come back. And he wasn't going to. Layla's breath left her in a rush as she began to shake.

Arms wrapped around her and a face pressed against hers as yet another pair of arms embraced her from the side. Her eyes scrunched tightly as she slumped against Drella.

The older woman's tears hit Layla's shoulder as the younger woman's grief struck across the connection Drella initiated. This kind of sharing did not cheapen the emotion. It did not belittle the grief or decrease the importance of the events or people in question.

Instead the connection formed when grieving was supposed to ease the pain and suffering of those living on and living without. It's supposed to provide support and acknowledgement of hurts. And, the connection decreases the potency of strong emotion and gives a way for rationality to take hold in the grief-stricken mind.

If Nia had had this, many things would have been different. It was something Drella was uncertain if she could ever forgive herself for.

STSTSTSTST

Kirk strode from the transporter room with an urgency many of his crew recognized. It was an urgency some had seen only once, but the memory was not something they would soon forget.

In comparison to the devastation of the previous event, this incident was more shocking and alarming. Instead of an entire planet destroyed and another in danger, the _Enterprise_ was faced to deal with arson fires, prisoners escaping, subterfuge, and kidnapping. It was a testament to the remarkable professionalism of the crew of the _Enterprise_ that there was no ensuing panic, or chaos amongst the officers or the Paladian medics.

Work was done quickly and fluidly, if a bit late. Lieutenant Casey had regained control and cleaned out the hacker's programming to the best of her ability, but she couldn't be certain she was fully successful. Not after this happening for the second time. Michaels was fuming and working in the lab with Lieutenant Jenkins after discovering that much of the equipment had been trashed.

Uhura was navigating through the communication to and from the starship with the grace of a woman with ten years of experience. More officers were working and doing their part than could be considered and Kirk, as he worked with that same urgency, knew it.

This was going to get taken care of.

They came on to his ship, they killed members of his crew, and they took a civilian from his ship. This game of cat and mouse, of finding the single thing that didn't fit in a picture of a thousand pieces, or finding the proverbial needle in a haystack was going to end.

Now.

Since he already knew the bridge was in capable hands, Captain Kirk headed straight to the brig. When he arrived, he found both the head of the _Enterprise_ security and his First Officer standing guard in front of the cell housing a very familiar Paladian.

Or, at least, the head of security was standing guard. With the wide berth given the pair, Kirk could easily see that most of the other officers were not convinced that the First Officer was also standing guard. The Vulcan was staring at the Paladian male with a steady and blank gaze, dark eyes catching every movement and twitch of the man before him.

Without turning to look, Spock acknowledged his presence with "Captain."

"Commander." Kirk replied. He came to a stop next to Spock and also watched Mig for a moment.

The male was giving very little away, something that screamed training. It seemed Mig also knew that the gig was up and was no longer attempting to portray the patient medic that had gone to school and grown up with Nia.

At some point in time, Mig had taken a different path in life, gone a different route than that which was expected of him and had been trained to skillfully infiltrate even a Federation starship.

Kirk had no doubt that Mig was the one Pike warned him might be on board. He also had no doubt that Mig was the one behind the reprogramming of his shuttle and the subroutine that had worked its way through the _Enterprise _firewalls and defense software. Proving it was going to be another matter, one that they could handle at a later point in time.

With one last look at Mig, Kirk turned to the other two gentlemen. "I'm guessing he hasn't said anything."

Mr. 'Cupcake' Hendorff grunted. "Not a word."

Kirk nodded. "And the others?"

"They posses no vital information." Spock answered.

"And the one who might have known something and been convinced to tell us had gotten away," Kirk sighed. "We have any idea where he went yet?"

The corners of Spock's lips turned down very slightly. "Negative," he told him.

"Then let's find him. Before Sargent kills him and crashes the shuttle." Kirk then addressed Hendorff. "I'm trusting you to keep the brig in order."

"I'll put my best on duty, sir."

"Do that. Commander, if you would follow me." Without waiting for a reply, Kirk spun on his heel and left the brig.

Spock followed without protest.

On the way to the ready room, the two men were intercepted by an agitated Jenkins.

"Captain." She said.

"Lieutenant." Kirk replied. "What seems to be the trouble?"

Jenkins sighed, jaw clenching momentarily as she attempted to speak calmly. "Sir, Dr. Sargent's lab was ransacked. Crewman Michaels and I have cleaned up a majority of the mess and were able to turn on the computer." She sighed again. "Sir, someone cleaned all of Sargent's data from the mainframe. I checked over the security feeds and found Mig. Sir, was he trying to sabotage the effort to save Palad?"

"Most likely." The captain told her in short. "Did Sargent have any back up files?"

Jenkins shrugged thin shoulders. "I couldn't tell you, sir. If she did and they were on that computer, then they are gone. None of the material was considered classified enough to warrant additional back up procedures or security."

Nodding, Kirk began to walk again. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

As the men continued down the hall, the blond man muttered to his companion "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you are thinking that Mig meant to gain access to the data Dr. Verde previously had in her possession, then yes, I am thinking what you are thinking."

"I'm glad Verde came to us with it when she did. According to the security feeds, Mig never attempted to come to the ready room. The data should have been safe." Kirk told Spock.

The Vulcan gave a brief nod of acknowledgement.

Only stopping for a moment in the ready room, Kirk retrieved the small data chip. He assured himself that it was the same one and the information was unaltered before he and the Commander boarded the bridge.

"Uhura, I need you to contact Starfleet Command and update Admiral Pike of our condition. Give him only the basics; I don't know who else might be listening." Kirk ordered. "Mr. Chekov, how far are you on figuring out where our shuttle went?"

"Close, sir." Chekov responded. "The tracking systems were disabled on the craft, but I should be able to remotely get the back online. I have a general bearing."

"Good. Inform me the moment you have anything else." He smirked grimly. "We have a scientist to fetch."

"Yes sir."

"What's our weapons status?"

"All are online, Captain." Sulu responded. "They seem to have been unaffected by the subroutine."

Kirk nodded, the accessed his com system "Scotty, report."

"Everything's fine here, Captain. All you need is to give the word." Scotty reassured him.

"There was no tampering in Engineering?"

"Nae, sir, they'd not come down here." There was a pause. "Any word on the girl?"

"Yes, but not the right girl."

Scotty was confused. "Sir?" He didn't get a response.

Addressing the bridge crew, Kirk stated "Alright, we are going to go after our shuttle and retrieve Dr. Sargent. Since the shuttle is a short range craft, we can guess that Nikolai means to be picked up by either Chancellor Narsow or someone working for Chancellor Narsow." Sitting down in the captain's chair, Kirk leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "We will assume they have fire power and will be willing to use it. They may even try to placate us with statements of peace and treaty." He paused, and then dropped the biggest bomb on his crew. "It may even be a Federation starship."

Sulu frowned. "Sir, there's someone dirty at Starfleet?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Sulu," Kirk leaned back, "it seems there is."

Spock stood silently at his station, running and rerunning the data and figures Chekov was also working on. He idly wondered why the captain had not yet given the order. The fires down below had been brought under control and Starfleet personnel were no longer needed for aide.

It seemed that Kirk knew what his XO was thinking when he stated "We will be underway as soon as our CMO and his high priority patient beam aboard."

"Yes sir." Sulu responded.

Turning from his station, Spock spoke to the captain. "May I inquire as to whom Dr. McCoy's patient is?"

This time, Kirk's smirk wasn't so grim.

STSTSTSTST

As she rested a moment, the distinct lack of attack confirmed that she hadn't been seen. Nia wondered how many of them there were on board. She'd watched Nikolai duck through the doorway and he was almost followed by Rebecca before Nia's temper got the better of both women.

Then, after she'd thrown Rebecca, Mig had shown up behind her. He'd been very angry. _Very _angry. Almost like he wanted to…

She'd felt a brief burst of pain before everything went black, as black as the one time that she had fainted. Then she'd woken up in the shuttle. Mig most likely dragged her into it, or caught her after knocking her out. Something happened that made her end up in the shuttle.

Yet, something felt off about that. If Mig had followed her, someone would be guarding her right now. With at least two male, and one of them Paladian, there would have been enough manpower to keep watch over her. Instead, she was left in a heap on the floor.

She'd woken up in that heap, relatively undisturbed. Nia shook her head. She couldn't have been out very long, could she?

Making up her mind, Nia pulled her feet underneath her and stood up quietly. As she stood, she realized she was still wearing her dress from the previous evening. Besides a little rumpling and a vague scent of body odor, it was none the worse for wear.

Nia ran a hand over her hair. There was no telling what shape her hair was in. It felt mostly tame, with only a few strands having sprung free from the style. Oh well.

Carefully, Nia stepped around the seats and tried to silently make her way to the cockpit. From the open doorway, Nia could see the back of Nikolai's head. The copilot's seat was empty.

So, it was just Nikolai. There weren't enough places for a person to hide on the shuttlecraft, so Nia felt safe in assuming that she and the human male were alone. And that he was most likely unaware of her presence.

So her, a Paladian female, up against Nikolai, a _human_ male? This shouldn't be difficult at all.

As she was standing there, thinking, the computer announced an 'M' class planet the shuttle was near.

With more confidence than she felt, Nia walked to the copilot's seat and sat down.

"Hello, Nikolai." She said.

He started and fluidly held up his phaser, set to kill.

Crap.

_Of all the stupidest… _She forgotten the possibility that he could be armed. She'd just arrogantly thought that she could frighten him with her mere being and that would be enough.

So she sat next to him, thinking one look at her and he'd turn the shuttle around. Her jaw began to ache. Maybe Mig had hit her harder that she realized. That or the rattling of her brain was enough to cause swelling that impaired her common sense. Either way, it didn't matter.

_I'm screwed. If Spock finds out about this, I'm going to be training for the rest of my life._ She winced as a worse thought hit her. _If Kirk finds out, I'll never live it down. _

Nia glared at the phaser aimed at her.

"So, Mig got you onboard, but got captured himself? Maybe I have to give the bastard some credit." Nikolai said, his tone impressed.

"What?" Nia asked, not following his train of thought at all.

Nikolai grinned. "Mig? That medic who used to be a friend of yours?"

Rolling her eyes, she snapped "I know who Mig is, Nikolai."

"I know. It just looks like your brain got shaken a bit, if that bruise is anything to go by." Nikolai gestured to it with his phaser.

Ruefully, Nia rubbed at the aching spot and grimaced as tender area sent a jolt of pain through her. "Yeah, he hit me pretty hard. He seemed pretty upset."

"Well, you did have to be best buds with the thorn in Narsow's paw."

"And that makes you what? The mouse offering to pull it out?" Nia replied. She honestly wondered how Nikolai had gotten involved with a Paladian Chancellor.

Nikolai looked at her with an air of suppressed surprise. "Very astute. Yes, my team and I stepped on the wrong toes during a job recently and so, we owe Narsow a favor."

Frowning, Nia stated "It's pretty brazen of you to be throwing Narsow's name around."

He snorted. "You won't be getting free. We'll be meeting with a Starfleet ship soon enough. Then even your precious _Enterprise_ won't be able to do anything."

Nia snort matched his. "Yeah right. You don't know that crew like I do. Talk about thorns. They make up a briar patch, all on their own."

"Think what you like they won't be able to do anything." An alert drew his attention. His glance was smug as he said, "We're being hailed. Would you like to do the honors?"

"I'm fine." Nia declined.

With a snarky grin, Nikolai answered the hail. "This is Morozov."

"Morozov, this is Captain Meyers. What is the number of your party?"

"Myself and one captive. All others were taken as prisoners."

There was a frown in the man's voice. "Did you complete your mission?"

" All information pertaining to Palad was wiped from the _Enterprise_ mainframe, Dr. Verde is dead, and Dr. Sargent is my captive."

"Very good." The frown was gone from the man's voice. "Well done, Morozov. Prepare yourself for transport momentarily."

"Yes sir." Nikolai responded, then hesitated. "Sir? My team?"

Captain Meyers said "Ah yes, your team. Rest assured, they will be taken care of."

Nodding, Nikolai said "Awaiting transport."

Quiet for barely a second, Nikolai asked, "Did that seem odd?"

Nia looked at him, instinct plucking at her. When transport didn't start immediately, full alarm bells started clanging in her head. "Nikolai, get us out of here. Now."

"Already on it." He snapped back and the shuttle's thrusters fired up.

Just in time, the small craft moved enough that the phaser fire merely grazed the hull and wasn't a direct hit.

Nia sat back as Nikolai scrambled to keep the shuttle moving. They waited for a second hit, but it never came. Hails for communication popped up, but Nikolai ignored them. Instead he aimed the handicapped shuttle at the planet below.

Nia, realizing what he was planning, asked "Are you going to be able to land this thing?"

Nikolai shrugged, hands not leaving the controls. "Maybe."

Leaning her head back, Nia took the time to quickly put on the safety harness. "If you get us killed, I swear…"

"You swear what?" Nikolai asked distractedly when her sentence dropped off.

"I don't know. I can't think of anything both horrifying and plausible." Nia clenched the armrests tightly. Since she wasn't a pilot of any kind Nia was going to be no help in this situation, not until the shuttle landed, or crash landed as was more likely.

_I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to KILL him. _ The mantra in Nia's head continued as the planet loomed ever nearer. The only thing ensuring her current sanity was the expectation of venting once everything was over. After all, _logically_ she couldn't kill the man who had a hand in the death of her best friend before he saved both their lives.

Feeling a tad hysterical, Nia's mind jumped to the subject of Spock. She idly wondered how Spock was handling her disappearance. Since Kirk was already captain, there was little reason for him to lose control or be made to lose control. Wryly, she realized the commander might not even be compromised. After all, Nia wasn't on the same attachment level as his mother had been, nor did she have the same significance that the entirety of his people did.

Nia hoped she'd get the chance to achieve that with him. The green-blooded, emotion-repressing, incredible-science-brain had wormed his way into her heart, just like she had been expecting him to.

The unknown planet's red and grey formations grew ever clearer as her thoughts toyed with what his reaction might if he knew the strength of her affection.

Oh who was she kidding?

He probably already knew. If he didn't figure it out on his own, then Kirk would have and probably gleefully told the commander one night over chess.

Nia started feeling light headed and suddenly realized that she'd forgotten to breathe.

As her lungs rapidly expanded for a much needed gulp of air, the shuttle touched down none to gently, sending up a cloud of red dust and sediment. Something sparked and Nia heard Nikolai yelp before swearing.

Another something shattered and Nia felt a piece of whatever it was slice just under the left corner of her lower lip.

Gradually the shuttlecraft began to slow down and the rumbling as the metal hull grated across rock died down. The shuttle finally came to a complete stop. For a few moments, there was complete silence in the cockpit as both occupants waited for a last minute shift.

When there was none, Nikolai let out a bark of laughter. "Woo-hoo! Yeah! We good, baby!"

Nia nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden burst of sound and stared at him as if he were a mad man.

"No fire ball for us! There aren't going to be looking for our crispy bodies!"

_Fire ball? Crispy? That son of a…_

Despite her safety still being unconfirmed, Nia lost it.

* * *

A/N: Alright, now is the time for you to tell me what you think! The goo and the bad please, since I can't fix the bad if I don't know about it!

Thank you so much to **deantaco**, and **ilovemedia18 ** for your lovely reviews. :)


	38. Chapter 37

**So sorry for the extended wait, yet again. Had some trouble at home, though hopefully it's all worked out now. Just in time for exam week, bleh. Though, one semester away from graduating, so that's a plus. **

**This chapter has not been beta'd so I apologize for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I am in the process of finding a new beta, if anyone is interested please PM me. **

**Read and enjoy!**

As it turned out, the combined off efforts of Chekov and Spock were needed to find the shuttle. Despite already moving in the right direction, it still took the _Enterprise_ precious time to actually come upon the small craft.

They arrived just in time to watch the shuttle take a glancing hit from none other than a Federation ship.

Kirk swore and without hesitating gave the order to fire at the other starship.

As expected, heir shields were up, and so the shot only served as a warning and a distraction as the little shuttle gimped out of range.

Phaser fire was returned and continued between the two ships even as Uhura valiantly attempted to hail the pilot of the shuttle. She kept trying, but eventually was forced to stop when the _USS Excalibur _hailed the _Enterprise_.

Captain Meyers appeared on the screen, near frothing at the mouth in fury. "How dare you fire upon another Federation ship? I don't care who you are, Starfleet Command will have your head!"

Kirk stared at him for a moment. "As I'm sure you already know, I am Captain James T. Kirk. You fired on a shuttlecraft belonging to this ship."

Meyers glared at the young man on the screen in front of him. _Pike's boy._ He thought with derision. The recent Admiral never did know what was good for him, and now he was training up another one to be just like him.

"That shuttle was harboring an enemy to the Federation." Meyers finally snapped, trying to regain his cool. He was marginally successful.

Silent for a beat, Kirk asked "What is the name of this enemy?"

Meyers went equally silent. "Nikolai Morozov." He finally responded.

"And what of Doctor Niniane Sargent, his hostage?" The tension on the bridge was very tight and the prospect of further engaging a Starfleet vessel was disheartening.

In response, Meyers merely shrugged. "I was unaware she was onboard the shuttle. I assumed his copilot was another member of his team. I'm not certain of your familiarity with the mercenary tendencies of Morozov and his crew."

"Had a recent crash course in the subject. It should please you to know that I have prior orders from Starfleet Command to bring Morozov in for questioning and sentencing. With those orders in mind, we will handle the recovery of the stolen shuttlecraft, and the retrieval of both Morozov and his civilian hostage." Kirk paused for effect. "There is no need for your assistance."

Anger continued to burn in Meyers' eyes as he courteously asked "Are you certain? That is a large planet they've landed on."

Just as respectfully, Kirk responded "I have no reason to believe this task should require two starships. Even my Science Officer agrees." He gave a pointed look at Spock.

Catching the look, Spock stepped forward and said "Indeed. The _Enterprise_ will be more than sufficient. A second starship will be a waste of resources."

Kirk pointedly added. "Besides that, I'm sure you have prior orders that take precedence."

When Meyers remained quiet for several long seconds, the bridge crew of the _Enterprise_ waited on baited breath for his response. They were already in a very sticky situation, after firing upon a Starfleet ship. It was a situation that Kirk, with the help of Pike, was going to have to do some very fast and very fancy talking to get out of.

Finally, Meyers said "I can see your point. And," he grudgingly admitted "I do have prior orders. Happy hunting." The man sighed and the transmission ended.

"Sir?" Uhura breathed.

Misinterpreting the tone of her voice as a question instead of an attempt to gain his attention, Kirk responded with an explanation "He left because he knows where Nikolai is going to next be and –"

Uhura interrupted him. "Sir, I'm receiving transmission from the shuttle."

"Morozov?" He asked.

"No sir, I'm hearing Dr. Sargent. She has not identified herself, but I recognize her voice." Uhura paused and winced. "She's very upset and yelling. I've attempted to gain her attention, but I'm not sure she can hear me."

Frowning, Kirk ordered "What is she saying?"

Uhura sighed. "She's speaking in Paladian and there is too much for me translate, sir."

Both of Kirk's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

She shrugged. "She has a lot of dirt on Morozov, it seems. There were sounds of movement earlier, but now she's just dressing him down."

"Can we beam them up?" Kirk asked.

"Yes, sir."

When Uhura had heard movement, what she had been hearing was an elaborate and desperate dance of musical chairs and 'phaser keep-away' occurring in the cockpit of the shuttle.

Eventually, after Nikolai had once again kicked the discarded phaser out of Nia's reach, the Paladian resorted to putting him in a headlock. He had greater training and experience than she did, but the close quarters of the shuttle and Nia's superior strength worked greatly to her advantage.

Contrary to her mantra as the shuttle was coming down, Nia didn't try to kill Nikolai. Instead, once he was locked under her arm and unable to flee, she began to berate him on everything he had done wrong or done that had ticked her off. She didn't stop with the most recent things either, no, she continued on until she was listing each thing he had done since she'd first met Nikolai.

All Nikolai knew was that he was stuck in a compromising position and possibly being lectured to. The human male had never taken the time to learn the Paladian language, but the tone with which Nia was speaking was unmistakable. Every once in a while, the scientist even threw in a little shake when she got to a subject that particularly irked her.

Nia was so caught up in her rant, that she didn't notice until too late that she and Nikolai were being transported.

Once materialized on the pad, Nia found herself surrounding by unfamiliar security officers. With a squeak, Nia shifted her weight so that Nikolai was no longer hunched, but upright and directly in front of her as a makeshift shield.

Her eyes darted from face to face, not understanding when confusion crossed several of them.

The leader of the group lowered his phaser with a carefully murmured, "Ma'am, it's ok, you're-"

The doors to the transporter room opened and cut him off.

A very familiar blond captain stepped through and Nia shoved Nikolai away from her in relief.

Two security officers frog marched Nikolai out of the room and presumably to the brig. As they left, three more individuals stepped into the transporter room.

Nia grinned at Spock as he came to stand next to Kirk; McCoy completed the trio as he stood at Kirk's other side.

The final person to step into the room came to a stop with a foot of distance between her and Spock.

The smile on Nia's face dropped as she stared.

Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Nia's breath hitched as she began to step off the platform. "Wena," she whispered, reaching out a hand. Her foot caught on the edge of the platform, and instead of embracing her thought-to-be-dead best friend, the Paladian ended up sprawling at the half-Paladian's feet.

For a couple moments, the group was silent as a baffled Nia stared up at Wena's feet.

"I know you missed me," the smirk was evident in Wena's voice, "but kissing my feet is a bit much, don't you think?"

Looking up at Wena's mischievous expression, Nia couldn't hold back the giggle that bubbled up. In a short period of time, she was laughing so hard that the most she could do was sit up. Even as she was laughing, tears began to flow in earnest.

Wena uttered a soft, low "Oh," and settled down next to her friend. She wrapped her arms around her, taking care not to aggravate the injuries from the fire.

And so, the two sat there for several minutes, laughing and crying in the middle of the transporter room as the two of the three highest-ranking males on the ship watching with a mixture of amusement, wonder, and confusion. The third knelt down next to the pair, tricorder in hand to evaluate the health of the weeping scientist.

"Surely, this is not an occasion for tears?" Spock quietly inquired of Kirk.

"I don't know how it is with Vulcan females, but sometimes women just get so happy that instead of laughing…" He waved his hand at the two women on the floor.

"It is not logical." Spock muttered, near frowning.

Kirk almost rolled his eyes. "Get used to it, Mr. Spock. This is the better end of it. Do you know what the most common lie illogical women tell is?"

Spock merely stated "I do not."

"'I'm fine'."

Spock's eyebrow quirked, but he gave no verbal response.

McCoy snorted softly in response to his findings. His reading showed a mild concussion, bruising, and exhaustion. All things that fit with the series of events and with the emotional conditions of the woman sitting before him.

With a sight he surgeon laid his hand on Nia's shoulder. "Alright, time to get up. We need to get you fixed up in the med bay."

Nia nodded and remembered the cut underneath her lower lip. The blood had gotten smeared during the scuffle with Nikolai and was partially dry. When she touched it, her finger came away wet and with dark magenta flakes.

Suddenly, Nia found herself standing up as McCoy lifted her by the elbow. As she stood, Nia could feel her adrenaline high starting to ebb and the exhaustion setting in. Some of her aches and pains began to make themselves known. Her neck was the worst after being rattled around by the uncouth landing of the shuttle.

She realized this after she turned her head too quickly when she tried to look at the Vulcan that appeared at McCoy's side. Nia winced.

"Nikolai lands a shuttle worse than Jacek parks a hovercraft," the scientist grumbled as she rubbed her neck.

Wena smirked. "And that's saying something."

Kirk, satisfied that Nia was in safe hands, left the transporter room to head to the brig. He needed to get some answers from Nikolai, a considerably more reliable source of information that would be much easier to manipulate than the Paladian… spy. Spock followed him, something that only mildly surprised the young captain.

As Kirk expected, Nikolai Morozov was more than happy to give Kirk all the information he had due to his most recent near death experience.

Nikolai was seated in his cell, with Kirk and Spock looking through the horizontal bars at him, listening.

"We already have quite a few pieces of the story, and some assumptions that tie everything together," Kirk informed the man. "However, I would like to hear your perspective on this situation." It wasn't a request. Not really.

The mercenary stared at him, weighed his options. Saying nothing looked great at face value, but apparently his preferred status was dead. As Nikolai could see it, his best bet at getting out of this alive was to trust the famous, young Starfleet captain.

"As I'm sure you know," Nikolai started, "I'm a mercenary. I have a team. My team and I took a job for Narsow and it was a bust. Might be our fault, might not be. Either way, we were forced to do another job for Narsow as recompense."

"Crash the colony ship?" Kirk guessed.

Nikolai shook his head. "No, we were to eliminate a threat to Narsow and return stolen information."

"This is how Dr. Verde was apprehended." Spock stated.

This time the mercenary nodded. "Narsow already knew who had the stolen data and we were able to use his authority to 'officially' apprehend Wena and Nia's engineering cousins."

"See that's one thing that didn't make sense. Why were Jacek and Grego apprehended?"

"Mig had reason to believe they had gotten involved and discussed the stolen data with Wena." Nikolai told him.

Spock asked a question. "According to Mig's earlier report, the colony ship's shields failed and allowed for transport of the three individuals. Is this accurate?"

"For the most part." Nikolai snorted unceremoniously. "Mig hacked the shields to get them to shut down. Once the wonder twins got all three of them back on the colony ship, Mig most likely would have let them undo his hacking in order to maintain his cover." The man sighed. "I didn't know Wena was the traitor that Narsow was gunning for, and I don't know if Narsow knew of my history with her. I saw her and I was taken aback. A traitor? That's not Wena. Never was, never could be." Shaking his head ruefully, Nikolai added, "It was how the two engineers got the drop on my men. I didn't react accordingly and they escaped. Managed to make my ship self destruct, though how I'll never know. The three of them transported off and my crew abandoned ship. The blast caught the colony ship and forced her into an emergency landing on the nearest M class planet."

Kirk nodded as he listened. So far, everything Nikolai was giving them was making just enough sense to be true. "What happened after you had been apprehended here on the _Enterprise_?" Kirk asked.

"Mig received additional orders. I don't know how, so don't ask," Nikolai looked at Spock's opening mouth, "but he broke us out and was going to go after Nia. He said Wena and Nethi had already been taken care of. He also said he'd had the opportunity to reprogram one of the shuttles and had everything set up for our escape."

"What did he want with Doctor Sargent?" Spock asked.

Nikolai just shrugged again. "All I know is that she was considered a threat."

"Is that why her data was cleared from the ship's database?"

"Probably."

"What was Captain Meyers' involvement?"

"There is an Admiral working with Narsow in Starfleet. Whoever it is, Meyers is loyal to him." Nikolai answered.

"Can you give me a name?"

Nikolai shook his head.

Frustrated, Kirk realized that while the information Nikolai was giving them was clearing up a fair amount of questions, the most important questions were still being left unanswered.

"Can you tell us anything else?"

"Only that someone in Starfleet is looking to profit from the evacuation of Palad and that the stolen data was key to it." Nikolai told him.

_Another dead end_, Kirk thought to himself. Turning to Spock, the captain said, "We need to recover Sargent's data as soon as possible. Obviously, she found something they didn't want her to find."

Leaving the brig, Kirk was silent and he contemplated all Nikolai had told them.

Wena's story was corroborated. No surprise there, not when she finally gave them the real deal.

Someone high up in Starfleet was involved. Again, no surprise. It might even be someone that Pike personally knows.

Narsow was directly involved with events occurring on Palad, including the parasite detrimentally affecting Palad's crops. This was a more interesting connection, one that told Kirk that the data on the 'rolium' was just as important to the solution as Sargent's work was. It also meant that Henry Sargent's death was a little less of an unfortunate accident and a little too convenient in timing.

Once inside his Ready Room, the captain rubbed his face and scratch the top of his head. Spock had followed him from the brig and watched the blond man think.

"This is a mess." Kirk muttered. "So much for a simple rescue mission." He paused and swore. "We can assume our transmissions are being monitored, so contacting Pike, even in code, before we are closer to Starfleet Command is a bad idea." The young man blew out an aggravated puff of air before turning to Spock to ask, "How's Sargent?"

"Dr. McCoy sent a message that she fell asleep during treatment and is still resting in Sickbay." Spock informed him.

Kirk nodded his head slowly. The woman deserved to sleep a little while after the day she's had. Both her and the half-Paladian doctor deserved to rest for just a little while.

Spock then added, "Doctor McCoy also stated that he would inform us when she woke."

Looking up, Kirk gave the Vulcan a false smile. "Good, good." He fell quiet for about thirty seconds longer, until stating "Spock I need to attempt to retrieve Sargent's files. We are missing something, something big."

His First Officer jerked his chin in a nod, "Yes, Captain."

When he was alone, Kirk stood and began to pace. There was something missing and his instincts were going haywire as a result.

He rubbed his hands over his forehead. The trip back to Earth was going to be a long one.

STSTST

Nia's return to consciousness was a slow one. Her mind was relaxed and she felt no need to open her eyes until the noises around her signaled that she was not in her own room. Even after inspecting her surroundings, Nia was still drowsy and decided not to move. Not until McCoy decided it was time for her to get up.

She lay there for several minutes, light blanket covering her shoulders, and the quiet sounds around her acted as a sort of reassurance. There was no alarm in the murmuring voices, no anger or loud klaxons blaring through the medbay. There were no emergencies being rushed to and so Nia felt very comfortable with staying where she was. Nia simply wanted to avoid facing reality for as long as possible and even when her mind grew more and more alert, she kept her eyes closed.

At some point in time, Spock and the captain appeared in the medbay.

McCoy quickly ushered them over to her bed saying, "Over here, Jim. She's been awake for a little while now."

The other two stopped at the foot of her bed, but McCoy stopped nearer her shoulder. He gently shook her shoulder, muttering "Come on, Ms. Lazybones. You've been taking up one of my beds long enough."

Nia sighed and rolled onto her back. She looked around. "Where's Wena?" she asked.

McCoy shrugged as he stepped away, "Sent her to her own bed."

"Ah." Nia nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Kirk asked. He patted her foot gruffly.

Toes twitching Nia rolled her eyes and sat up to properly cross her legs and tuck her feet away from the captain's reach. Before she could give him a verbal response though, Nia yawned. "Sleepy," she grumbled.

He chuckled. "I can see that."

She lifted her shoulders in a 'What can you do?' form. "It's better than a 'shot by Federation starship' feeling," Nia quipped.

Grimacing, Kirk copied her shoulder movement with his own. "Yes, I suppose there is that."

Nia sighed. "Actually, if I'm to be honest, I feel as if I got stuck in the middle of a 22nd century Madonna revival."

Kirk tried to keep from laughing, but still ended up chuckling. Spock just raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not familiar with such an event," the commander stated.

Trying to explain, Kirk said, "During the 22nd century there was an uprising of Madonna impersonators."

"Including that one boy band where all the members dressed up as Madonna," Nia added.

Spock seemed to sigh, shoulders slumping, before he stated "I have found that Earth music proceeding the 19th century has exponentially decreased in quality as time increased."

Sputtering, Kirk stared at him in shock and attempted to come up with a suitable come back as Nia leaned back on her bed and shook with laughter.

"That's-that's unfair. And not true. I mean, ok so the 22nd century was a bust overall, but come on! What about the 23nd century? They've had some pretty good stuff, I think." Kirk defended, fumbling as he valiantly attempted to refute the commander's statement.

Eyebrow raised, Spock asked, "Have you listened to any Terran 23nd century music? In an attempt to improve quality, humans have adopted alien forms of music with limited success." He paused and then asked "Do you not listen to a band called Beastie Boys on occasion?" The music had been blasted out of the captain's quarters more than once.

Nia crooned, "Oh Kirk! That's 20th century!"

Fuming, Kirk muttered, "Like anyone doesn't appreciate _Intergalactic." _He rounded on Nia. "And Palad hasn't experienced any of the same musical mishaps that Earth has?"

She scoffed. "Ah, no. I think we have three music genres, total. And they've only gotten better as time passed and technological improvements allowed our musicians to produce better quality works."

Giving up, Kirk snapped, "Can we get back on topic please? Preferably before you two completely pick apart my taste in music?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Nia said as she patted the captain's hand condescendingly.

He glared at her in response.

"Speaking on getting back on topic," Nia piped up, "Do you know which ship it was that fired on me? I think the captain's name was Meyers?"

Kirk, sobering up, said, "Yes, he's captain of the _U.S.S. Excalibur_."

Nia stared at him for a moment, then pulled the thin blanket she had snuggled with up to cover her face. "You have got to be fooling me," she muttered, words muffled by the soft cloth.

"Does that name mean something to you?" Kirk asked, glancing at Spock in surprise.

Instead of Nia responding, Spock did. "I believe she is referring to her namesake. Niniane was one of the many names for the Lady of the Lake."

Kirk blinked once, twice, and then grunted. "So the _Excalibur _opened fire on the Lady of the Lake?" He shook his head. "I'm no longer capable of being surprised," he said.

"Don't. You'll spell yourself." Nia warned him.

"Jinx." Kirk automatically corrected.

"What?"

"The word to use is jinx, not spell."

"Oh." Nia shrugged. "Same differences." She sighed and stretched her arms out. "So I suppose you need my side of what happened?"

"It would be optimal," Spock replied.

"Alright, well I'll give you the short version." She leaned back against the mattress again. "I was thinking about Wena, upset myself and got a feeling that things were connected. I checked the shuttle bay first, only to find that I was right and Nikolai had escaped. I went after him, Mig knocked me out, I woke up on the shuttle, Nikolai rendezvoused with Meyers, Meyers fired at us, and Nikolai crash landed on the planet. Shortly after that, we were beamed aboard." The scientist looked at the Science Officer. "Does that suffice?"

He nodded. "For now." Abruptly, Spock asked, "Did you make any significant discoveries pertaining to the Paladian crop disaster?"

"Maybe," she responded. "Why?"

"Did you backup this data on any device beyond the _Enterprise _mainframe?" Spock asked, again speaking abruptly.

"Just with Starfleet's system, like I did before. Why, did some-," Nia's eyes grew impossibly wide. "Please tell me that Mig didn't go to my lab before punching me in the shuttle bay."

Kirk sighed. "I would if I could."

Nia swore. "All the data is gone, isn't it? All my recent research?"

"I'm afraid it is," Kirk told her sympathetically.

"Noose fungus." She blurted out.

"Pardon?"

"I was working with noose fungus. I found a species that could possibly be genetically modified to survive Paladian environments. It's not ideal, but would work as an immediate solution." Nia said quickly.

Kirk nodded. "It's a starting point."

"Darn right, it is." Nia sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"There's work to be done." She looked at him, determination etched across her face. "I assume we'll be heading straight for Earth?"

"You assume correctly." Spock informed her. "All vital personnel were beamed aboard before we gave chase to the stolen shuttle."

Nia nodded. "Good. That means we'll get answers that much sooner." And with that, she headed for her lab without delay.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is still following and reading this. I am glad to have captivated your interest. Please, please review! I'll admit, it's a dream to have a story gain over 100 reviews.

And considering that, I should inform you all that this story is nearing it's end. Now, don't worry I will do Spock and Nia's relationship justice... and I will have a sequel. Possibly a third, short story after that too. Don't worry, there's still a few more chapters left for "Reach For The Stars" before "Walking On The Sun" comes out.

I have a poll posted on my page. Yes, I will be posting a sequel, but I have dozens of other plot bunnies bouncing around and can't decide what to focus on. So please, take the time to vote your choices, or let me know what you want in a review or PM.


	39. Chapter 38

**What do I love about summer? That I can update that much faster... until the summer semester starts, of course. **

**So this chapter is interesting to say the least. Really, I have no idea where it came from. I was all intending for Nia to behave herself, but she just... refused. So this happened and I was forced to try and keep the character reactions as in line as possible. **

**You have been warned. Now, read and enjoy!**

Despite Nia's expectations to be able to work in the lab immediately after leaving the medbay, McCoy had other ideas.

"You still need rest," he stubbornly insisted.

"I've been resting," she grumbled at him. "I don't need any more.

The doctor sighed. "You've been dozing in here for a couple hours, yes, but that is not the same as rest."

Nia could see that arguing was going to get her nowhere, so she rolled her eyes and left the medbay. She was going to her lab.

McCoy sputtered behind her as she left. Both ranking officers next to him stared after her in equal surprise.

"Well, that was unexpected," Kirk said, his tone falsely cheery. "I don't think I've ever seen someone just storm out before."

With a growl, McCoy rounded on the two men. "I want her to rest. If I have to make it a mandate, I will." He focused on Spock. "Why don't you go talk some sense in to her? She's your girlfriend, after all." And with that, McCoy left the pair to stand in the middle of his medbay.

Spock turned to Kirk. "Captain, I will report for bridge duty momentarily."

As the Vulcan left, Kirk told him, "Take your time, Commander."

STSTST

When Nia left the medbay, she attempted to head straight for her lab. Part of the way there, she was intercepted by a certain half-Vulcan.

He called her name and she stopped in the hallway to turn and look at him. As he approached, she muttered, "I know that might have seemed disrespectful, but I do not need to rest. I've rested enough. I need to see the damage that has been done to my research."

He didn't reply.

"I mean, come on, I think I would know if I needed more rest. I'm Paladian. I'm fine." She glanced at his face again to find him still staring at her. "What?" She snapped.

"You should not go to the labs," he stated.

Nia froze, jaw clenched. "You too, huh?" She started to walk again.

"You have not had enough time to recover from your recent ordeal in order to look at the situation objectively," Spock told her as he began to follow her.

"Excuse me?" Color rose in her cheeks as fast as her eyebrow did. She stopped walking and starred at Spock. "You're questioning my objectivity?"

"Yes," he said.

She began to fume.

Before she could get any words out, he continued "Without objectivity, any data you obtain will be tainted by your bias."

"_My bias?_ Are you kidding me? I've been biased from the start!" She responded incredulously.

Frustration started to pick at Spock. He easily held it at bay. He tried to further reason with her. "Both Ensign Jenkins and Crewman Michaels are capable of furthering your research in your absence."

She gaped at him. "Are you taking my work away from me?"

Not knowing how she made that conclusion, Spock opened his mouth to speak.

Nia cut him off. "This is my work. Mine. My people. My planet. You will not be taking this away from me." The fierceness of her voice was lost on Spock.

"Both individuals are capable scientists and –"

"I'm not? Is that what this is about? I've made so little progress that I must be terrible at my job?"

With the wild accusation, Spock was uncertain how to respond. The color of Nia's face was beginning to concern Spock. He'd never seen her so pink before. "It is clear you are not currently capable of rational thought."

Furious, she whispered, "Oh, I assure you, I am perfectly capable." She spun on her heel and entered the open turbolift. "You can't keep me from my lab."

Spock might have followed her if Nia hadn't physically blocked him while the doors closed in his face. He barely glimpsed the shocked look of the two crewmembers standing behind her.

As soon as the doors shut, Spock lifted up his PADD to access the security for the labs.

STSTST

Slightly calmer after her 'victory' against Spock, Nia quickly walked the rest of the way to the labs. As she approached, she paused for the few seconds it would take to punch her code into the keypad outside the doors.

Nothing happened.

Frowning, Nia punched her code in a second time, taking her time to make sure each number was put in correctly.

Still, the doors didn't open.

A new anger growing, Nia vainly punched her code in for a third time. When the doors remained shut, Nia let out a shrill sound of frustration and slammed the palm of her hand against the doors.

"Dr. Sargent?" A familiar voice came from behind her.

Nia turned to find Michaels standing behind her, a startled expression on her face. She just stared at the younger woman expectantly.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" The brunette asked. When she got a glare in response, Michaels reflexively took a step back. "You don't have to answer that," Michaels rushed to say. "Stupid question. You obviously wouldn't be here if that were true."

Feeling slightly mollified, Nia sniffed lightly and muttered, "You got that right."

With a smile, Michaels stepped closer. "Are you going into the lab?" She gestured to the closed doors. "Oh that reminds me!" Excited, the crewman held up the small tablet in her hand. "I found one of your spare PADDs in my room, the one that had some of your notes on it that I had forgotten to load in to the _Enterprise_ mainframe. Good thing, huh?"

"Let me see!" Nia's excitement equaled the brunette's. Turning the device on, Nia proceeded to flick through the screens with a speed that baffled Michaels. "This is great. Really. It doesn't have everything I need, but it's a better starting point than I had before."

"You mean 'we'," Michaels gently corrected. "I want to find the answer just as much as you. Especially after meeting Paladians that aren't as crazy as you." The smirk was teasing in nature.

Rolling her eyes, Nia nodded. "I blame Earth for feeding my madness." Her tone hid the warmth that filled her stomach at Michaels' statement.

"Had to start off with a seed, though."

"Very true."

Once again Michaels gestured to the doors. "Are we going to go in or what?"

Acting surprised, as if she forgot, Nia gestured to the keypad with the PADD in her hand. "Yeah sure." The not so subtle hint was that Nia's hands were too full for her to punch in her security code.

Michaels took the hint and punched in her own code. The doors opened without a problem and Nia followed her assistant inside.

The sense of victory returned.

STSTST

Nearly two hours after Nia and Michaels got to work with the once again necessary retesting, Ensign Jenkins walked into the lab. When she caught sight of Nia, she froze just inside the doorway.

The Paladian looked up and caught the look on the other woman's face. "What?" She asked confused.

The woman was silent for a moment, as if debating her next statement. Finally, she asked, "What did you do to your hair?"

Nia smiled, flattered. "It's a traditional braid that my mother," she raised a hand to her head, "put in – what in the world?"

"Yeah…" Jenkins drew out the word slowly.

Appalled, Nia raised both hands to cover and attempt to smooth down the frizz she could feel.

Both Michaels and Jenkins jumped forward to stop her.

"You're just making it worse, sweetie," Jenkins said with a wince.

Michaels was having a hard time keeping a straight face. "I wasn't going to say anything, but you kind of looked like Einstein."

Horrified, Nia tucked her head under her arms as if hiding would undo the damage already done.

The blond Ensign rubbed a hand over the frazzled scientist's back. She leaned in close to give her a comforting embrace, but pulled back with a wince. "Um, not to pour salt on a wound, but when was the last time you showered?"

Nia looked up slowly, face a ghastly grey in color. "I don't remember. Oh, no," she whimpered.

Trying to cheer her up, Michaels sympathetically. "Don't worry, Dr. Sargent. It's just us girls here. It's not like Commander Spock saw you and your rumpled mess. We are all g- Dr. Sargent? Are you-? Oh no," Michaels eyes went very wide as she took in Nia's reaction to her words.

A snort escaped Jenkins. When both women looked up at her, Jenkins had to clamp a hand around her mouth to keep another from escaping.

It didn't work.

"Alright Jenkins, it isn't that funny." Michaels tried to defend Nia.

The other woman just shook her head. "Oh, but it is," she insisted. "You see, I was wondering why the commander had banned Dr. Sargent from the lab." Giving Nia a very pointed look, the ensign continued, "Now, it all makes sense."

"He banned you from the lab?" Michaels was incredulous. "But I let you into the lab!"

Nia was wondering if it would be feasible to somehow glue her hands to her face. She'd need help with eating and drinking, and maybe walking, but at least she'd never have to show her face again. The idea was becoming increasingly appealing.

Jenkins pursed her lips. "Listen," she said. "Why don't you take a couple hours off? Get cleaned up and rest if you need it. Michaels and I can get some work done while you are gone."

"That sounds good," Nia squeaked through her hands, "but I am not walking through the halls like this. And I'm _not_ going on the turbolift." Closed in spaces and strong smells never mixed well. How did she notice the first time in the lift?

Jenkins started snorting again as Michaels winced.

"It's not that funny," Nia whimpered.

As Nia sat with her hands semi-permanently covering her face, she missed it when Jenkins produced a comb.

"Now," the woman started saying, "you are going to do the minimal to fix your hair, then you are going to go straight to your quarters. Got it?"

Finally, Nia lowered her hands enough to look at them. "I can't leave you two with so much to do, just to fix my appearance. This is too important."

Ensign Jenkins stared at her a moment. "Let me put it to you this way," she leaned in close, "if you don't leave, I'll have Lieutenant Commander Scott send a copy of the lab's security feed to NiPila."

Nia frowned. "How is that supposed to scare me?"

Jenkins just shrugged as she shifted away. "Guess I was wrong about Drella. The woman I thought I met would take one look at the way you currently look and –"

With a snarl, the snatched the comb from the woman's hand. "Give me that thing."

Both ensign and crewman shared a smug look as Nia began to meticulously pick the knots and frayed ribbons out of her hair. Slowly, but surely, the white locks became more presentable. To keep her hair tame, Nia then pulled the voluminous white mass back in a tight pony tail.

Finished, she sighed. Both human women looked up at her as she asked, "You are sure you don't need me?"

"Of course we need you," Michaels stated, "but you need some R&R more."

The irony of letting Jenkins and Michaels continue her work without her didn't escape her notice. Shoulders slumped, Nia stood from her stool. Cleaning up did sound good. Only one thing gnawed at her now.

_I'm going to have to talk to Spock. _

_ Eventually._

STSTST

If Nia received any strange looks on her way back to her quarters, she didn't catch them. For the most part Nia had her eyes trained on the floor.

The room was quiet when she walked in and surprisingly empty. Odd. Nia had expected to find Wena still sleeping.

_Well she's either in the mess of the medbay._

Shrugging, Nia decided it wasn't vital and pushed back the discomfort at the sudden absence of her friend. Her time would be better spent cleaning up her appearance instead of fretting. She halted though, when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her previous horror slammed back into her at full force.

"I look like a medbay escapee," she whined.

Her dress was a rumpled mess and the bottom hem torn in places from her scuffle with Nikolai. Dark spots of what Nia knew to be her own blood could be seen on the purple fabric covering her collarbone. It must have dripped there when her face was cut.

There was only one clean spot on her face, the spot where McCoy wiped away the blood on her chin. Her pink lips were chapped and almost ashy in look, while her nose and left cheek were appallingly shiny from a buildup of facial oils. Her right cheek and the left side of her forehead had matching smears of a dark substance. Probably soot or some sort of dirt from when the shuttle crash landed.

Even with being combed, Nia's hair was still matted and unkempt in appearance.

Tearing her gaze away from the mirror, Nia knew the only solution was to get cleaned up as soon as possible. Yet, when she pulled off her dress, she froze again.

While she'd been sore, she hadn't realized the extent of her bruising. She had dark yellow and honey brown bruises across her chest from when the safety harness of the copilot's chair pulled tight during impact.

McCoy probably knew there were bruises, but since her dress hadn't been removed, must have decided to leave them. Nia could always have Wena look them over later, if they became a problem. There were other bruises too, some on her arms and legs, but those were very minor. Probably from rolling around and trying to get to the phaser that had fallen to the shuttle floor before the Russian did.

Shaking her head at, well, _everything_, Nia turned away from the mirror once and for all. At this point, even a sonic shower sounded wonderful.

STSTST

When Nia felt clean enough to get redressed, she decided to get a short nap too. Two hours later, she woke up feeling infinitely better than she had when she'd left the medbay earlier. Again, she was surprised that Wena wasn't there and hadn't returned yet.

Getting up, she dressed herself in a fitted tee and khakis that felt soft and cool against her skin.

She had more energy than earlier too. Felt lighter, even. And she was absolutely ready to work in the lab.

Nia didn't hesitate to leave her quarters and never paused in the hall. However, if she had thought about it, she might have. Because she hadn't thought about it, Nia was caught off guard when her code still wouldn't let her into the lab. Letting out a puff of air, Nia gently rested her forehead against the closed door.

Even if she got one of the scientists to let her it, it still wouldn't solve the main problem. And the main problem was that Spock had blocked her from the lab for a reason. She'd let her emotions get in the way and had refused to heed his instructions. As her superior in the Science Department, he was well within his rights to request that she be well rested and clear headed when working in the lab. Locking her out had seemed extreme, but after thinking about it…

Her decisions hadn't been top notch as of late.

Nia had only gotten into a wrestling match with Nikolai after he'd crashed the shuttle that she was only on because she'd ran away from Michaels in order to get the opportunity to beat the tar out of Nikolai. She's stormed to the shuttle bay without any second thought or care, and had then sat down next to the armed mercenary with the same mindset. Before that, she'd stormed the bridge, punched Nikolai, and broken her hand in a completely unnecessary tussle.

All these led up to her storming out of the medbay in utter disrespect of McCoy's medical authority. She'd even gone so far as to block Spock from following her into the turbolift like a child having a temper tantrum of not getting her way.

Spock had to be frustrated with her, or else his Vulcan stoicism is far better than she could have ever imagined. Really, she couldn't see how his Vulcan logical mind wasn't fed up with her illogical Paladian one. Hadn't she been illogical from the beginning?

Touching him when he was grieving?

Sleeping in the lab?

Wasting significant time because she wasn't paying attention in the lab?

Sparring with Sulu? That one had the whole ship in an uproar.

And of course, let's not forget that the first conversation Nia had with Spock was after she'd gotten embarrassed and made a fool of herself because she was eating a "loud" lunch.

It wasn't until Nia stopped walking that she realized she'd even started. Looking up, she saw the door to her quarters in front of her. Her subconscious must have known that she needed a quiet place to sit with the way her conscious was working through things.

Once inside, Nia slumped against one of the walls next to the door. She ran her hands over her face and head.

She loved Spock. She had no doubt of that. Not after her epiphany as she watched a planet come closer with a frightening speed. Yet, she didn't tell him that. No, she didn't even show him any ounce of affection once back on the ship. Instead, she turned around and behaved in a way directly contrary to what she should have.

She was disrespectful, illogical, and immature. To face Spock now, she would have to face the facts.

Insecurity plucked at her, tried to convince her that she'd screwed everything up.

Nia shook her head. This wasn't the first time she'd behaved irrationally and it was doubtful to be the last. In reality, if Spock couldn't handle it then she had no reason to expect him to. For all she knew, he might like her illogical tendencies in some odd way… maybe.

First order of business, she needed to apologize to him. The sooner, the better, or she was going to chicken out. He would be on duty now, though. Nia bit her lip in thought. Grabbing her PADD, Nia paused for only a moment before typing out what she felt was an acceptable message. Apologizing over a message wasn't ideal, but at this point she felt it better to do than to wait. She'd speak with him again later, but this might help get the 'ball rolling' as it was.

Message finished, Nia hesitated before sending it. Chewing her lip again, Nia quickly added a last line and sent the message before she could change her mind. She wanted him to know she was sincere.

Realizing that now she was going to be filled with nervous energy until he responded, Nia decided go to the gym. She'd take her PADD with her too, so that if he – no, _when_ he sent her a reply, she could quickly respond. If need be.

STSTST

Despite her strong desire and constant checking of her PADD, Nia was left hanging.

Her PADD didn't chime. No alert popped up.

Spock never responded.

She did, however, discover that her lab status was reinstated. It didn't give Nia a clear indication of Spock's response, but perhaps he found it illogical to respond. Either way, she was determined not to spend time worrying over something that was potentially trivial.

After all, there was the home of five billion Paladians to save.

* * *

A/N: There you go. The first real fight, of sorts. What do you guys think should happen? What do you think will happen? It will definitely be interesting, to say the least.

Thank you to all who have voted on my poll so far. I'm going to wait until the end of "Reach For the Stars" before I make my decision.

Thank you to **cherylnixon** for your review! I'm glad you found this story too! And of course, thank you to all who have added this story to their alerts and/or favorites.

- Spirit Speaker


	40. Chapter 39

**Not to terrify you all... but there's only one chapter left after this one. **

**And then of course, the sequel in which EVERYTHING happens. Gah! **

**Now, this chapter might be a little silly, though I tried to keep everyone as in-character as possible. Forgive me if anyone is a little OOC!**

**Read and enjoy!**

On a normal day, Wena knew better than to just speak her mind. She knew better than to call someone foul names or slap them for any given offense. The doctor knew how to handle people with courtesy and tact. Normally, Wena was aware of her friend's sensitivity and refrained from offending her.

Normally.

"You are so stupid," the dark haired doctor groaned from where her forehead rested on her crossed arms. "You do realize you've been acting like nothing is wrong, right?" Had been for two weeks, too.

Nia snorted. "If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Let me rephrase: you've been acting like nothing is wrong _around him_." Wena lifted her head to glare at the Paladian across from her. That day the pair was eating lunch alone, something arranged by the half-Paladian doctor. "I'm your best friend, he's just a Vulcan. I have a distinct advantage even if you were acting normal around me."

Rolling her eyes, Nia ignored her friend's gaze. "Well, how else am I supposed to act? He didn't bother to respond to my message."

"Um, hello-o! He did!"

"I'm not sure reinstating my lab status counts."

Wena scoffed. "Sure it does. It just wasn't what you wanted."

Nia set down her fork with a huff. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it does," Wena snapped back. "Look, you expected him to get what you meant and are oh so readily accepting his lack of response as a – a polite rejection."

Silent, Nia picked her fork back up to play with the noodles on her plate.

"And honestly, I can't believe you haven't noticed."

Pausing in her movements, Nia looked up. "Noticed what?"

Wena's head found the table again. She considered lifting it up to repeat the process and decided the headache she already had did _not_ need to be added to. "That poor, poor man has been walking on eggshells around you for the last two weeks. He's clearly been waiting for you to make the next move." Head up and hands waving, she continued, "I mean, did you ever think to, I don't know, talk to _him_ about it?"

"I- well, I- " Nia sighed and valiantly attempted to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. "I've been such an idiot already and I was afraid of continuing to be so. Clearly, I'm attempting to dig myself a grave."

"When you are done, give me the shovel so I can hit you with it. Someone needs to," Wena grumbled then caught a glimpse of Nia's face. "Seriously, you've got to get over this idea of who you think Spock should be with. It doesn't matter what _you _think, it matters what _he_ thinks."

With another sigh, Nia leaned back in her seat and ran her hands over her face. "You're right. I know you are." She set her hands on the table. "I don't know what he thinks though, and I guess that is part of the problem."

"Well, you know how to fix that," Wena replied dryly. She met Nia's gaze. "_Talk to him_. Or I'll tell the captain to bar you from your quarters until you do."

Nia snorted, but didn't respond. She wasn't sure if the captain would so willingly do such a thing, but Nia was also smart enough not to test it.

"You could always use the research he's been helping with as an excuse to start talking. He's been a major help in that area and you know it." Wena frowned. "So has Sulu. Sword-fighting, botanist, pilot. Who knew?"

**STSTST**

"Alright Spock, what is going on between you and Sargent?"

The commander looked up in surprise at his captain.

Kirk just shook his head. He'd had enough. The wary looks and glances, the bit lips, and the unconscious twirls of hair between nervous fingers had been very obvious to Kirk. And of course, Spock's own tension had been just as plain to see.

"Jim, I cannot ascertain your meaning."

Kirk sighed. "Something happened. Something to do with the incident in the turbolift and the brief rescinding of Sargent's lab access, I'm willing to bet."

Spock said nothing, he merely watched him from across the chess board.

"I assumed it was resolved when her status was reinstated, but now I'm starting to think otherwise," he said. "So, what's going on? You say something to upset her? Is she behaving too illogically for you?"

The slumping of Spock's shoulders was slight, but still Kirk caught it. "I know not. Perhaps all conclusions are applicable."

"What happened?"

"We had an altercation that resulted in my prohibiting her from the lab. After sufficient time for her to calm, she sent me an apology. Seeing that she had returned to a more rational state, I reinstated her lab status," Spock informed him.

Frowning, Kirk asked, "And you two have been walking on eggshells ever since?"

Spock nodded.

"Was there anything else in the message? Or was there just an apology?"

He hesitated for only a moment. "An additional line was written, though I am uncertain as to its meaning."

Kirk was unsurprised. "May I see the message?"

"Certainly." Spock pulled the message up on his PADD and passed it over to the captain. While it was a personal message, Spock saw no reason not to show it to Kirk.

Kirk read over the short message quickly before his brows furrowed in confusion. "'How Thought You This Thing Could Captivate?' Is that the line you were talking about?"

"Yes, Jim."

"Is it a title for something?"

He nodded. "A Tennyson poem, I believe. Though, I find it holds little significance to the incident in question."

With a brief inhale as a light bulb went off, Kirk looked up at Spock. "We need a female's perspective on this, and there's no one better to ask than the best friend."

"Dr. Verde."

"Care to put the game on hold for a trip down to the medbay?"

"Only if you do not attempt to cheat."

"Hey! I only did that once."

"Twice."

"You know about that?"

"I am Vulcan, Jim. My memory is impeccable."

"…Right…"

STSTST

When Wena looked up to see both the captain and the first officer heading her way, she instinctively knew she was in trouble.

"What now?" She asked with a groan.

Both men paused in their steps, hesitating to move closer in the face of possible hostilities.

Kirk cleared his throat, "Well, uh, we have something we'd like to ask you?"

"Sure, Captain, what is it?" Wena asked, impatiently. She had work to do.

He handed her Spock's PADD. "This message. Can you tell us what it means?"

Frowning, Wena looked down and read through it. When she saw the sender's name, she started shaking her head. "No. Oh, no. You did not come here for the sole purpose of getting information from the best friend." She handed the PADD back. "Sorry boys, but I think Nia would kill me. I am not getting involved."

Groaning, Kirk tried to plead with her, "Come on Verde, not even a little hint?"

"No."

"I'll make it an order."

"I'm not Starfleet. I don't have to answer."

Kirk's eyes narrowed. "I can make you stay on the _Enterprise_ considerably less comfortable."

Spock's eyes widened fractionally at the threat. "Captain – " He started to protest, but Wena cut him off.

"And do what?" She challenged, green eyes flashing.

He smirked at her. "I'll have the replicators programmed to stop making blue jello."

She gasped and placed a hand over her heart. "You wound me!" She cried.

"What the devil is going on? This is a medbay, not the set for a soap opera!" The gruff scolding seemed to come out of nowhere as both Kirk and Wena nearly jumped out of their skins. They stared at the irate surgeon who had appeared beside them.

Recovering first, Kirk handed the PADD to McCoy. "Here, Bones. What do you make of this? Here's the poem that the line is referring to."

Bones glanced at it and then groaned. "Ah heck, kid, I don't know. Sure that line means something and so does the poem, but I don't understand women any better'n you do." He carded a hand through his hair. "You need a woman to get inside a woman's brain."

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at the only woman standing with them.

Wena threw up her hands and backed away. "Not getting involved," she told them firmly. "_So_, not getting involved."

Spock turned to McCoy. "What of Nurse Chapel?" He asked. "Dr. Sargent and she have spent a significant amount of time together."

McCoy shook his head. "Maybe, but she hates poetry with a vengeance. I doubt she'd be of any help."

The three men fell into a brief silence.

Finally, Kirk was the one to suggest it. "What about Uhura? Do you think she would be willing?"

The CMO shrugged and said, "Can't hurt to ask, now can it?"

Kirk turned to Spock. "Have Uhura meet us down here in the medbay."

"Absolutely not!" McCoy protested. "Does this look like a relationship counselor's office? _No_! My patients don't need the drama."

"Actually, I rather find it amusing. And a decent distraction," a foreign voice piped up from behind McCoy.

The three men turned to find an engineer with a broken ankle being swatted at by Wena as she set the bones.

"Shh!" She snapped at him. "Don't encourage them!"

The engineer shrugged under the weight of her scolding. "Oh come on, those boys need all the help they can get." He called to them, "Captain, call down the other lady and see if she'll help us."

"Us?" Kirk asked, smirking. He glanced at the men next to him. "What makes you think you are qualified for the job, Lieutenant?"

The man snorted. "I've been married for fifteen years to the prissiest woman alive. I must be doing something right."

"Good enough," Kirk said as he turned to look at McCoy in askance. "Come on, Bones." The captain even threw in his best smart-aleck grin.

McCoy just rolled his eyes and huffed.

Spock contacted Uhura.

STSTST

Uhura didn't know what she was expecting, but when she arrived in the medbay what she found wasn't it.

Three men were huddled over a PADD and speaking quietly, while both Dr. McCoy and Dr. Verde were attempting to work around them. And if Uhura wasn't mistaken, the engineer bent over the PADD with the captain and the commander was actually a _patient_ in the medbay.

Approaching them, Uhura cleared her throat. Kirk looked up and his face brightened with relief. "You're here, perfect."

"Yes, captain, though I admit I'm still confused on why I was called here," Uhura told him.

Kirk glanced at Spock and then shrugged. "Well, we need someone of your expertise to help us, uh, decipher this message."

The engineering Lieutenant sniggered.

Curious, Uhura stepped closer. "Alright, may I see the message?"

Kirk handed her the PADD.

Uhura scanned over the message and frowned. With a small glare, she looked up at the captain. "Let me guess, my 'expertise' has to do with me being a woman and Spock needing relationship advice?"

The engineer near crowed with laughter as he clapped Spock hard on one shoulder. "Knew she'd figure it out right quick." The man then turned to look directly at Uhura. "We asked Dr. Verde, but she declined to help us. Now, you read the message and saw the last line, right?"

With a roll of her eyes, Uhura nodded. "Yes, I saw it, but I don't know what it means."

"It is the title of a poem," Spock supplied. His head was beginning to ache. The situation had seemed very simple when he told Kirk of it. Now, it seemed more and more individuals were getting involved. If Nia heard of it, he believed she would be upset. One did not simply spread relationship difficulties lightly.

Uhura nodded. "Ok, then she was probably trying to communicate a thought, or emotion through the use of the poem. What was the poem about?"

In response, Kirk just showed her a copy of the poem.

The linguist read through the verses, eyes looking surprised, and then softening as she continued reading. Once she finished, she read one particular line out loud, "'A hand displayed with many a little art'." She shook her head. "Do you have any guesses as to what this poem means?"

"Not really," Kirk said. "Poetry isn't my forte."

With an inaudible sigh, Spock supplied, "The poem is one written from the poet to a beloved. There is bitterness and it appears the poet regrets the time spent with her."

Uhura nodded slowly. "Commander, did you and Nia have an altercation recently?"

"Yes."

"And she was the being illogical, correct? She was the one in the wrong?" Uhura asked.

Spock didn't understand her line of questioning, but responded anyways, "That is correct."

Uhura nodded again, thinking through and trying to understand what Nia's mindset might have been. "When did this happen? Was it just after she was rescued and discovered Wena was alive? I heard something happened between you two with the turbolift."

"I heard about that too, Commander," the lieutenant piped up. "Saw the security feed for it too, and let me tell you, that dress had seen better days."

"Dress? Purple and teal?" Uhura asked. She saw Wena wince when the engineer responded.

"Yeah, it was, I think."

Wena, still eavesdropping, lifted a hand to her head. She could only imagine what kind of wreck Nia was. Wearing the same dress for nearly three days? Seriously?

Clearly, Uhura was thinking something similar. "Alright, Commander, I think I need to know the full story."

With as much patience as the half-Vulcan could muster, he began to explain, in detail, the incident in question. By the end of the explanation, Wena was tempted to repeated bang her head against one of the medical cabinets in the room. That poor, poor man.

Sighing, Wena walked over to the group. "Let's move this party to the mess hall. We've missed my normal lunchtime and I'm starved."

STSTST

At the same time as the discussion in the medbay was occurring, something no less than extraordinary was happening.

Nia was frozen over the microscope, watching as the genetically modified fungus was determinedly devouring the parasite currently spreading through Paladian soils.

She'd done it.

She'd really, really done it.

Well, not just her, but still.

Hands shaking, she transferred a video of what was happening to PADD. She then transferred as much relevant data as she could to the PADD before her excitement and impatience over powered her. Once the information was fully loaded, Nia bolted from the room. She ran for the mess hall first.

As she ran people in the hallways shifted out of her way, some shaking their heads at the unprofessionalism, others smiling at the obvious joy on Nia's face. The only thing she registered about those she passed was that none of them were one of the individuals she was looking for.

In the mess hall, she found Sulu.

All that the lieutenant heard as he returned to his table was a sharp squeal before an individual too strong to human wrapped her arms around his torso. Fortunately, the man had set down his foot tray before Nia embraced him.

"Nia?" He asked in surprise. "Something good happen, I take it?"

She just squealed again in response, released him, and handed him the data PADD.

Suspecting the reason for her excitement, but still not certain, Sulu began to scroll through the information presented. His eyebrows rose. "It worked?" He asked the bouncing Paladian.

She nodded. It was then something glimmered on the edge of her awareness, and Nia turned her head knowing exactly who she would find.

STSTST

Grudgingly, Kirk had to admit Verde had a point. Lunch sounded fantastic right about then. "Alright, let's go."

The captain had to admit, their group looked a little ridiculous as they head down the hallway to the mess hall. Especially with Uhura and the engineer still arguing over what Nia was saying with the poem and why she was saying it.

Since Kirk and Spock were in the front of the group, they were the first to enter the mess hall. Beside him, Kirk felt Spock stiffen at the sight that greeted them.

Nia was unwinding her arms from around Sulu, looking incredibly… happy.

Still standing near the entrance of the mess hall, Spock appeared to be frozen. Kirk, not really sure how to react, kept watching him for any sudden movements. In all likelihood, the situation was very simple and very innocent.

It was then Nia looked up and spotted them near the entrance. Kirk smiled weakly and raised a hand to wave, but the woman was already moving and moving fast. She ran for them and Kirk tensed in surprise, until he realized her trajectory wasn't quite for _them,_ but for one individual in particular. With a last second decision, Kirk sidestepped away from his first officer just as the Paladian literally leapt onto Spock and wrapped her arms around his stiff shoulders. Her legs wrapped around his midsection.

The entire mess hall fell silent.

Spock did not reach his arms around to support her. Instead, he listened.

"We did it, we did it, we did it!" She whispered fervently in his ear. "The last GMO worked, the fungus is now effectively attacking the parasite." She hugged him tighter. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." As she released him to drop back down to the floor, she dragged her cheek along his to catch the corner of his mouth with hers.

Joy and light-hearted elation flashed through him before the brief connection was severed. She gripped his sleeve tightly as she pulled him across the mess hall to where Sulu was valiantly attempting to keep a straight face. Not noticing, Nia snatched the PADD from him to shove it into Spock's careful grip.

"Look, look, look!" Nia squealed again as she began to dance around the Vulcan male, gripping the back of his shirt in an attempt to contain herself as she peered around his shoulder. She watched as he dutifully scrolled through the information she'd presented him.

Hanging back, Kirk and Wena shared a smirk.

Her green eyes sparkled as she jerked her chin in the Vulcan's direction. "Now, I'm sure he won't admit it, but I'm willing to bet Sulu had a close brush with death just now."

"You're right, he won't admit it," Kirk agreed.

Wena just shook her head as she watched Nia continued to bounce around, her focus on Spock the whole time. Spock, while subdued and stoic, was the epitome of male pride. It was probably why he hadn't stopped Nia from clinging to him, though he had yet to respond in kind. Wena was amazed when her friend had leapt at Spock and even more amazed when the man made no move to stop her… and when the happy Paladian clinging to him didn't faze him in the least. Wena wasn't the only one to notice, either. Uhura and the engineer were watching the pair knowingly and, if Wean wasn't mistaken, Sulu was looking just a little _too_ relieved.

The best part, though, the _best _part was what Nia was so excited about. What filled her with a contagious joy and spread to the others around her. What made even the strangers in the room know exactly what had happened.

Palad was saved.

Or, at least, on its way to being saved. No doubt there were forces already in play to attempt to sabotage all the Science Department's hard work. Wena sighed against the sudden melancholy feeling.

Kirk hit her on the shoulder. "Judging by that sigh, I'd guess you just had the same thought I did."

"That as good as this discovery is, we are nowhere near done? That this discovery doesn't change the fact that people want us dead and Palad dying?" Wena asked.

"Yeah," Kirk let out a sigh of his own. So much for a simple rescue mission. "Come on," he said, "let's go join them. After all, I thought you were hungry?"

Getting Nia to calm down turned out to be a much easier task than expected. Wena got the Paladian to settle down next to Spock and set a plate of food in front of her. Nia barely glanced at it before she started eating. In between bites, she pointed out different things that were happening in the video Spock was viewing.

Kindly, Spock never stopped her, despite the fact he could see for himself what was happening. He didn't even bother to shift or push her away as she pressed closer than she had been since their disagreement in front of the turbolift.

* * *

A/N: Ah yes, our second favorite scientist finally figured out at least one peice of the puzzle! And our first favorite scientist got relationship advice, whether he wanted it or not...

Fun fact: Ever seen Stargate SG-1? The episode when Vala is so happy to see Teal'c that she runs and jumps on him? Yes. Yes, that was my inspiration for Nia.

Thank you, thank you for the reviews I got last chapter! I'm really glad you all liked it! Thank you to **cherylnixon**, **Misplaced Levity, **my buddy **Darth Revan**, and the guest reviewer for your reviews! I appreciate them all!

Thank you for those who have added this story to their alerts/favorites!

Don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile! I've only had eight votes so far, I need a few more before I can make a decision!

-Spirit


	41. Chapter 40

**Ah! Ah! Ahhhh! It's the last chapter. OMG! I cannot believe it! **

**Actually, I can. See, last chapter, but... Well... read and enjoy. You'll understand. **

**Thank you to my new beta, Amodestpoet! He was very helpful. **

It was another day before Nia could truly settle down. She still had moments where her relief bubbled up and caused her to go so far as to bounce in her seat in the middle of whatever task. Most of the Starfleet crew found this endearing and couldn't help feeling some form of joy along with her.

Sometimes, they _really_ couldn't help it. Not with the way Nia was projecting, even without physical contact. An aura surrounded her almost constantly, one that Wena and Spock were particularly sensitive to. Others just found themselves smiling for no reason, whereas the half-Paladian and half-Vulcan could pinpoint the cause for happiness.

The day after Nia's discovery was spent testing and retesting the new genetically modified organism to determine any side effects. Soon, effectiveness under different soil conditions would be tested.

So far, the fungus was behaving exactly as they hoped it would. It was better than Nia could have ever imagined. The fungus would be likely only be a temporary solution, but it was an immediate one for the immediate danger of the parasite.

Less than a week and the _Enterprise_ would at Starfleet Command, bring Mig, Morozov, and all the others in to protective custody to await their trial.

With all that was happening and would be happening, Nia was sufficiently surprised when she returned to her cabin in the evening of the day after her discovery, only to find it empty. Wena was off-duty and Nia had checked her position before she left the lab. So where did Wena go?

Deciding not to worry about it, Nia just strode to her bed and laid down for some much needed rest. The hard edges of a poorly placed PADD distracted her, though. With a grumble, she pulled the device out from underneath her and pressed the button on the side to light it up.

On the screen, an open note was left.

_Just do it already. _

_W. _

Nia frowned. What in the world was Wena talking about? And it obviously was from Wena, given her previous penchant for randomly leaving her notes. "Just do it"? Do what? She hoped the half-Paladian meant sleep because Nia really could care less about anything else at the moment.

As Nia was trying to figure out her friend's meaning behind the cryptic message, there was a knock on the door. Her frown deepened as she got up to see who it was at the door.

The second she saw who stood on the other side, Wena's message clicked into place. Nia sighed.

"Wena sent you, didn't she?" Nia asked.

"She did mention that now was an optimal time to speak with you privately," Spock answered.

Nia just lifted her eyes skyward in exasperation before she moved to the side and ushered him into her quarters. "Come on in. This is a good a time as any, even if it is a bit orchestrated." Plus, Wena would likely never let her see the light of day if she let this opportunity to make things right pass her by.

She almost left eh door open behind him, but decided against it. All she needed was for a busy-body crewmember to eavesdrop on a private conversation and stir the whole ship into an uproar.

"Is- Is there anything in specific you want to speak about?" Nia asked tentatively.

He seemed to hesitate before he turned to fully face her. "It came to my attention that the disagreement fifteen days ago had not been fully resolved."

Nia almost snorted. Almost. "I guess not." She fidgeted under his watchful gaze as she just stood there, uncertain of what else she should say.

"I failed to understand the significance of your message and as a result, unintentionally confirmed the false idea you possess of our relationship," he finally stated.

Her head snapped up. "What do you mean?" False idea? What was he saying? Was he saying that-? No, no she couldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

Due to the doctor's previous view on noninvolvement, Spock had been surprised when Wena directed him to the quarters she shared with Nia.

_"Look, if I know Nia, and I __**do**__ know Nia, then I know that she isn't going to talk to you until she had beaten the subject to death in her head. She'll attempt to figure out every possible angle you could come from so that she's prepared for anything that could be thrown at her. So, I'm telling you to go talk to her. Before her brain fries up from the stress." _

Despite not believing the problem to be quite so serious, Spock heeded Dr. Verde's advice and arrived to find Nia acting… uncharacteristically insecure.

"You fear you have lost my respect, that I find you an illogical being with little control over her emotions, and that I wish to end the relationship as a result." It didn't escape him that she flinched at each point that made. The movement was miniscule, but still present.

She sighed and made her way to the couch in the minute living area. "I am aware that I acted like a fool and let my emotions get a hold of me and overpower my common sense. I have no excuse for it. My behavior towards you was unbecoming, unprofessional, and downright disrespectful. I jumped to very hasty conclusions and automatically assumed the worst of you. I didn't trust your judgment," she paused to take a shaky breath and then continued, "and yet, you have been stalwart in your aide of my research and have spent a significant amount of time in the lab searching for the way to- to save Palad and- and heal my home planet!" Shaking her head, she told him, "You helped save five billion lives. I know it was only logical to do so, but still, thank you."

_Loyalty_. Spock, whether he realized it or not, had been loyal to the Paladians. Something that would hold him in high esteem amongst her people. Very high esteem. He did it without knowing that or expecting to gain anything for it, but did it because it was the right thing.

And she loved him all the more for that.

For his part, the half-Vulcan male just listened and watched the changing expressions on Nia's face as she spoke. He patiently sat next to her on the couch, folding his hands in his lap. When she finished speaking and her expression bore a look that was inexplicably _soft_, he spoke.

"Are you not a Paladian?"

His question was simple, yet it still threw her for quite a loop. "Yes, you know that as well as I do."

He nodded. "Yet, you seem to think I do not understand what that entails. You are _Paladian_," he stressed, "not Vulcan. I could no more expect you to always be logical than you could expect myself to be illogical." A corner of his mouth twitched up at Nia's startled look. "Your summation of your behavior is correct. However, you have not lost my respect."

"Why not?" Nia was baffled.

He almost sighed. "While not expected, your outburst was not unexpected. You _are_ Paladian."

"Not Vulcan," Nia completed the thought a little breathlessly. She got it. "So, you forgive me for my lapse into the illogical?"

The brief jerk of his chin could be nothing other than a nod.

Her shoulders slumped with relief and Nia took advantage of his proximity to lightly rest her head on his lean shoulder. "I'm glad to hear that." A thought crossed her mind and she suddenly blushed. "Also, I'm sorry about the poem thing I sent you. I know that likely didn't make any sense."

"I did not initially understand the significance. Lieutenant Uhura explained the logic behind it."

"You asked Uhura?"

"I did not. The captain did."

"The captain? I assume McCoy knows too?"

"Correct, as does Dr. Verde and one of McCoy's patients. He believed being married for fifteen years offered him a unique insight."

Nia closed her eyes and sighed in a resigned fashion. "When did all this happen?"

"Just prior to our arrival to the mess hall where you were sharing your discovery with Lieutenant Sulu," he responded. He held very still as he spoke, unwilling to dislodge Nia with any movement.

She just nodded. "So you understand why I sent you that poem?"

"You were expressing your regret for your actions and irrationally believing yourself to be the woman from the poem." His clasped hands tightened for a moment before he continued, "You believed yourself to be undeserving of my attentions."

The way he said it so matter-of-factly struck Nia hard. Her head lifted from his shoulder as tears sprung to her eyes. "Well, to borrow a favorite human phrase, you hit the nail on the head." She chewed on her lip. "Spock, would you like to feel something?"

Spock studied her expression for the smallest of moments before he jerked his chin again in that simple nod of his.

Tentatively she held out her hand. Her breath hitched when he gripped it. Once again she closed her eyes, and then, then she let go.

Vaguely, she heard his breath hitch and the grip on her hand tightened.

Wave after wave of emotion flooded through her as she released the hold she had on them, letting Spock experience everything she had bottled up inside. She held back just enough, and attempted to keep the contact one sided.

It seemed the Vulcan male decided that wasn't enough and soon the Paladian felt a presence pushing against her mind instead of her emotions. Thoughts and images began to both sneak through an escape her, hardly a rhyme or reason to be found amongst the chaos. She pushed back for barely a second before caving in under the gentle pressure of his mind against hers.

After that she held nothing back.

When he finally pulled away and released Nia's hand, the only thing that gave away his ruffled composure was the short breaths escaping his lips.

"You let me feel all of you." His voice seemed a little stunned.

Equally overwhelmed, Nia merely nodded her head.

Cool fingers gripped her chin and both turned and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "You love me," he stated.

"And you love me," she replied. There was no doubt in her mind. She knew. The previously unknown emotion she'd always felt from him had grown and morphed into something more tangible for her, something she could understand. Something that she too felt, even if it flickered when confronted with the vibrancy of emotion dwelling instead of him.

He searched her eyes. Whatever he was looking for, he must have found because the next thing Nia knew, his hand was cradling the back of her head and his mouth was sealed over hers. She fisted a hand in his shirt to pull him closer as he deepened the kiss. Sighing against his mouth, she leaned further into his embrace.

The connection bloomed between them again, less chaotic this time, but no less overwhelming and no less intimate. A stray thought, a piece of "cultural" information was pulled to the forefront of her mind and it was clear Spock caught it when he abruptly broke the kiss.

Her face burned hot as she realized just what he had seen. Her mouth opened, but she seemed to unable to force the words past her lips.

He spoke for her, "In the customs of your people, such a _full_ connection is only done…" his voice trailed off.

She finally found her voice and finished, "It is only done after a marriage proposal has been accepted. It's a good way to make sure the couple is truly emotionally compatible."

Spock's eyebrow rose. "That is not all," he stated.

The mix of nerves and embarrassment twist her gut and made her limbs quiver. "Not it's not. That connection is also the greatest intimacy that can be achieving before a couple is wed. It's why we save it until we – until we are certain."

The hand cradling her head was still in place. His other hand was placed against her back, cradling her close to him.

"A marriage proposal was not made," he said, face still stoic, despite the compromising position he was in.

Her hands shook harder. "No. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it go so far. It was inappropriate. I'm sorry." Nia began to pull away.

The hand in her white hair dropped as he let her gain some distance. Her hands found each other in her lap and twisted together. The Paladian felt completely lost as to what to do next. Perhaps she should say something, though what she would say she had no clue, even if –

His statement cut off her inner monologue.

"I am not opposed, though there are facts you must be aware of before you can agree."

_What?_

Shocked laced through her.

"You're not opposed?" She sniffed and then frowned. "What facts?"

Discomfort hovered behind the blank façade he presented. "As you know, I am half-Vulcan. This combined with the fact that no Paladian-Vulcan relationship has ever been recorded leaves open the possibility that –"

"Having children might be difficult." Nia interrupted. "Yes, I am aware of that. Three humanoid species combined isn't a good mix. I was aware of that from the beginning."

"With your field of expertise, I am unsurprised."

Nia smiled. She patted his knee. "Now, is that the only thing, or is there something else?"

The discomfort returned, this time more evident than before. "There is something more. Something that may change your desires."

"I consider myself warned," she said softly. "What is it, Spock?"

"It is the matter of Pon Farr."

And Nia listened carefully as Spock fully explained.

When all was said and done, Nia saw no reason to change her mind. There were dangers, but they were minimal especially for a female strong as her. If Spock ended up going through Pon Farr, Nia could handle it. They would handle it.

_They _would handle it.

Nia and Spock.

* * *

A/N: So there it is. What do you think?

**For all who are wondering, YES there is a sequel in the works. We have lots of loose ends to tie up (muahahaha). It will be titled "Skies On Fire" and the first chapter will be posted soon. As a challenge, if this story reaches 100 reviews over the next couple days, I will post the first chapter on THAT DAY! **I like to write a couple of chapters ahead, which is why I'm waiting otherwise.

WOW! I love the responses I got for the previous chapter. Thank you so, so much to those who have been following and favoriting this story. Thank you to those who have reviewed, **cherylnixon**, **Amodestpoet, Anna (**a guest**), DD (**another guest**), -sparrow, **AND **Misplaced Levity**.

And of course, thank you, thank you, thank you to ALL my readers. Thank you for your time and loyalty, which I hope you will continue to give as "Skies On Fire" is developed.

- Spirit Speaker.


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